George Russell

Russell's first season with Mercedes could not have gone much smoother for the former Williams driver. Earning both his first pole position and first race win in Formula One. Russell regularly outperformed teammate Lewis Hamilton in 2022, making the podium a total of eight times and leading 100 laps by the final go in Abu Dhabi. The driver of the No. 63 finished in the Top 5 fifteen times out of the first 16 races, earning him the nickname "Mr. Consistency" by both the fans and broadcast media alike. Russell picked up championship points 20 times out of his 22 race starts, having only one DNF at his home track, Silverstone. Many of Russell's mistakes on track can be attributed to the understandable difference in handling between Mercedes' W13 and the Williams FW43B, though his occasional recklessness behind the wheel is oddly reminiscent of an early Red Bull-era Max Verstappen. Russell is one to watch as a potential challenger for the World Championship going into 2023, as Mercedes is looking to prove they're still in contention for the title despite Red Bull's recent dominance. Read Past Outlooks