Williams resigned to George Russell joining Mercedes as Lewis Hamilton future undecided
F1: George Russell hikes during the off-season
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New Williams boss Jost Capito is resigned to losing George Russell at the end of the season as the 22-year-old is being closely monitored by Mercedes. Both Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas are in the final 12 months of their contracts so there could be a major reshuffle at the Brackley-based team.
Hamilton opted to only extend his stay with Mercedes by a further season after his previous deal expired at the end of last year.
That has sparked rumours that the 36-year-old could walk away from F1 should he win an eighth world title, which will take him clear of Michael Schumacher’s record.
Bottas has yet to put up a sustained challenge for the Drivers’ Championship and if he struggles to match Hamilton this year then he could be ditched.
Top of Mercedes’ wishlist is Russell, whose deal also happens to expire ahead of the 2022 campaign.
Russell came through Mercedes’ junior programme but was then release to take up his first F1 seat with Williams.
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Mercedes remain as Russell’s management company so striking a deal with their F1 office would not be an issue.
“Let’s see how the situation develops and whether he will remain at Williams next year,” Capito told German broadcaster n-tv.
“It depends largely on the prospects at Mercedes for 2022, when the regulations will change a lot, but also on the development within our own team.”
Russell shot to the front of the queue to drive a Mercedes following his impressive outing at the Sakhir Grand Prix.
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The youngster stepped in for Hamilton, who had contracted coronavirus, and would have won the race but for a horrific late pit stop and tyre puncture.
“When he drove the Mercedes last year, that catapulted his self-confidence up even more,” Capito added.
“He is a very open guy and a demanding driver for the team.
“He’s a true professional, which is rarely seen at his age. I am sure he will become champion one day.”
Meanwhile, Mercedes chief Toto Wolff explained why picked Russell to replace Hamilton in Bahrain.
“We believed in George because there’s not many drivers out there that have won junior championships as rookies, especially not the very competitive GP3 and F2 Championships,” Wolff said.
“For us, [using him as replacement for Hamilton] was a possibility to confirm what we were thinking about George. It was unfortunate that this opportunity came with Lewis having been out.
“I would have wished it would have happened in a different way, but it gave us a set of data points to look at. And in a way it affirmed how we judged him.
“It was also an advantage for him and Williams. He was going to go back to his team with a lot of learning, with more understanding. And this is why I think for him personally and for Williams, it was advantageous.”
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