F1 | Williams, Russell: “Fighting wheel to wheel with Vettel made me grow”

George Russell returned to talk about his 2020. The English Williams driver underlined the importance of wheel-to-wheel duels in his personal growth path. The Mercedes-school talent learned a lot from the numerous mid-pack duels, especially against Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari, a driver with whom George certainly didn't think he would have the chance to compete so closely. The Englishman actually fought in almost every race with the German, with the Alfa Romeos and with the Haas.

Being in a tussle with a car that was often inferior even to its direct rivals from the back rows taught him to manage the car in more complicated conditions, especially when the aerodynamics suffer due to the proximity to the other cars and the load worsens. All experience, for a driver who stands out for his intelligence and method, as well as his innate speed.

“I improved as a driver because I was engaged in wheel-to-wheel duels throughout the season with the Alfa Romeos, the Haas and very often with Sebastian Vettel. Just recently I talked about this with Seb; I think he was the rider I fought against the most in 2020 - the words of George Russell to Motorsport.com - I think at the Nurburgring, at Mugello, at Austria, even in Abu Dhabi. Him maybe a few laps in Portimao and Imola. We were close on track all year, which if they had told me before the start of the season I would have found it hard to believe. Racing wheel to wheel with an F1 is very important because it is different to how it is in other categories. F1 single-seaters have sophisticated aerodynamics, when you lose load in the slipstream the car transforms and you have to learn to deal with the loss of grip. We often fought with faster cars, and I learned to race defensively."

Completely different condition when you drive a car that performs better than the others, with Russell experiencing both conditions in 2020or:

“Only once was I able to attack, when I drove the Mercedes. And having a high-performance single-seater also increases your confidence as a driver. But I'm realistic and I know that next year too we will have a slower car than many others. This is why I focus on details and work trying to continuously improve" the pilot concluded (basic level also).