Russell won't study Hamilton before the season starts

George Russell has said he will not study Lewis Hamilton before his first season as a Mercedes team-mate.

The duo will form an all-England line-up at the German team in 2022, with the former Williams driver replacing Valtli Bottas as a teammate for the seven-time world champion. Russell will have a daunting task against the 36-year-old veteran, and so far his F1 teammates have only included Robert Kubica and Nicholas Latifi.

Still, he felt no need to study Hamilton's driving skills in advance, as he felt one of the main strengths of his compatriots was his ability to adapt.

"No, there won't be any research on Lewis, it's because he's so great because he's adapted to all kinds of situations," he said. ”

Another reason he thinks it doesn't make much sense to do so is that given the widespread regulatory reforms that are about to be implemented, the car will be quite different from the cars Hamilton used to drive.

He said: "We have a brand new car and no one knows what the best way to drive this car is. ”

Considering the impressive impression Russell has made during his three years at Williams, his former team boss Dave Robson believes the 23-year-old has been as good as Hamilton and Jenson Barton in some respects.

"There's no doubt he has a lot more to learn because working at Mercedes is different from our situation, but when it comes to his style and attitude, he's definitely no less than Hamilton and Barton," he said. His professionalism and the way he brings the team together, as well as his skills and confidence in decision-making, are the real key factors. ”