23 January 2023 , 19:45
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George Russell was "a revelation" in his impressive first season as a Mercedes driver, in the eyes of former champion Mario Andretti.
The Brit was always expected to fare well with the Silver Arrows, after impressing in his early Formula 1 years with Williams. He also lived up to the billing when called up to replace the Covid-stricken Lewis Hamilton in Sakhir in 2020, and may have won the race had it not been for a team pit stop blunder followed by a puncture.
Even despite that, not many expected him to outshine seven-time world champion Hamilton over the course of the season. But that's what Russell did, scoring 35 points more than his Mercedes team-mate thanks to his consistent results.
His performances earned praise from a wide range of voices, the latest being 1978 drivers' champion Andretti. "If you look at his performance last year, not only in qualifying but also his strength in the race, you have to see him as a revelation," the 82-year-old said.
Andretti's praise of Russell should come as little surprise. He spoke highly of the young Brit before he had even begun racing for Mercedes – lauding the job he did for Williams towards the tail end of his final season with the team.
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"The [driver] that impressed me, who has really shown that he can be a future champion, is George," he told RacingNews365. "By having that opportunity in Bahrain and stepping up the way he did, and even with Williams.
Mario Andretti is clearly a big fan of Russell (Getty Images for SiriusXM)"At Spa [the rain-soaked 2021 Belgian Grand Prix for which he qualified second and took his first F1 podium] with the conditions... rain is always a great equaliser and he showed his skills by doing what he did there. That's [something] to be looking forward to, how he will fare next to Lewis next year."
Andretti even anticipated Russell showing his skills in his first year with Mercedes, adding: "If Mercedes give freedom, which I think they already do, especially during the start of the season, it's up to the individual driver to show what they can do and what they can bring to the team.
"I'm sure that Mercedes in some ways will always favour Lewis, and justifiably so, but at the same time I'm sure George will have the same equipment. I think you've just got to wait for those things to unfold. We'll see what happens."