George Russell asserted he welcomes a challenge and believes in his ability to beat anybody amidst rumors of Max Verstappen possibly joining
Mercedes in 2025.
While Max Verstappen has clarified his position on the matter in the meantime, many reports and speculations over the last few days suggest he might want to join Mercedes in 2025.
When Mercedes F1 driver George Russell was asked how he would feel if the triple World Champion was to become his teammate, he told the media at
Jeddah Corniche Circuit:
"As I said last week in Bahrain, this is my third season now alongside Lewis, the greatest driver of all time, and I feel like I've done a pretty good job alongside him, so whoever were to line up alongside me next year or the years to come, I welcome anybody."
The 25-year-old has been in one of the most challenging seats on the grid since 2022 when he joined the seven-time World Champion in Mercedes.
From the first year, Russell proved his qualities as he beat Hamilton in the head-to-head battle in the Championship standings. In 2023, he lost, but nevertheless, he kept showing he could play an equal game with the 39-year-old.
"I welcome a challenge. You always want to go against the best, but ultimately, for me, [I'm] just focused on myself. I believe in myself, I believe I can beat anybody on the grid and you've just got to have that mentality."
"As I said, having Lewis as my benchmark for the last couple of years has been a pretty good benchmark for sure."
2024 will be Russell's third and last year driving alongside the most successful driver in F1 history. Going into the second race of the season, he is ahead in the Championship tables. Can he beat Hamilton in their last head-to-head battle?