Russell discusses difficult period at Williams: ''People controlled themselves''

Williams has found a new technical director in François-Xavier Demaison, after a long period without someone in that role. George Russell is very happy with this move, and is at all pleased with the new management.

Since the departure of Claire and Frank Williams, the team has been rebuilding. Williams' new CEO, Jos Capito, must first make the team survive these difficult times, but also hopes to build a team that is more competitive with the new regulations. For that, of course, a technical director is extremely important, to shape the car for 2022.

Russell gets more confidence

''We've had an incredibly difficult time and a lot of people had to do things that didn't necessarily fall under their job description, which was because there wasn't really anyone managing everyone. People were managing themselves and so were doing things that they weren't really supposed to be doing,'' Russell tells Motorsport.com.

''Now we have a CEO and a technical director, which means everyone can focus fully on their own task again, whether that's to do with aerodynamics, the mechanical part or the electronics. We now have a technical director who is going to manage everyone and bring everything together.''

Williams on the right track

Although Russell has his sights mainly set on Mercedes, he is also very happy with these changes at Williams. The Brit is in his third year with the team and is still waiting for his first points with Williams. In 2022 he hopes to make the step to Mercedes, but if he doesn't get that chance it is also nice to know that his current team is making good steps forward.

Besides the arrival of Demaison, Russell is very happy with the new leadership of Capito. ''He is very motivated and very approachable: he talks to everyone in the garage. It is hugely positive news that he has joined Williams. ''We now have a strong captain at the helm who can put in place a good technical structure, which will ultimately help us improve the performance of the car,'' the Briton concludes.