George Russell joining Mercedes ‘would suit Williams’ amid Lewis Hamilton uncertainty

George Russell 'gutted' to miss out on Sakhir GP victory

George Russell moving to Mercedes ‘would suit Williams’, according to reports. The Silver Arrows are still confident of reaching an agreement over a new contract for Lewis Hamilton but, with that deal taking a while to strike, speculation continues to rumble on. Russell impressed when he appeared for Mercedes in 2020, finishing ninth at the Sakhir Grand Prix.

Russell filled in for Hamilton at a time where the 35-year-old was ruled out after testing positive for coronavirus.

And the Brit impressed during his spell with the Silver Arrows, finishing ninth at the Sakhir Grand Prix.

Russell could have won the race had it not been for a pitstop error and he’s been tipped to achieve greatness in the time since.

Mercedes have downplayed talk they will swoop for the 22-year-old.

But Beyond The Flag claim that Russell moving would actually suit Williams now that Claire Williams is no longer swerving as deputy team principal.

She made it clear Russell was under contract with the team throughout 2021, and that Mercedes would have to wait another 12 months to land their man.

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However, Williams have since been purchased by Dorilton Capital.

And with Claire Williams no longer calling the shots, it’s possible that Russell will be granted a move away.

For now, Mercedes are still confident they’ll keep hold of Hamilton for another year.

But the longer it takes to tie the 36-year-old down to a new contract, the longer the rumours will continue to rumble on.

Meanwhile, Toto Wolff has revealed he was wowed by Russell when the Brit walked into his office at the age of 15.

“I’ve had his contract since he was 15 years old,” Wolff told Sky Germany.

“He notified me via email that he was in need of advice, told me he had previously won the British karting championship and just become British Formula 4 champion.

“He came to my office, all alone in a black suit with a black tie – it must have been his communion suit because it was a bit tight – and a PowerPoint presentation.

“In this presentation, he listed every reason why he could be a successful Mercedes driver in the future.

“He also had a question. He wanted to race with Carlin in Formula 3 and asked if it was a no-go for me because they used Volkswagen engines.

“I told him ‘no, that’s fine, if you want to race with Carlin, go ahead’. And he has been under contract with Mercedes ever since.”

Wolff then added: “It was well made, although he was a bit nervous.

“He also looked a little more like an accountant than a racing driver.

“First was his resume along with his previous experiences.

“Then a page with his strengths, followed by one with his weaknesses, followed by how he wants to continue working on his weaknesses.

“He also had a career road-map laid out, with his end goal being to drive for the Mercedes Formula 1 team. So he had it all planned out in his head back then already.”

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