George Russell insists there's more to come after beating Lewis Hamilton last season - "Definitely still room to improve"

Even after defeating Lewis Hamilton in the 2022 F1 season, George Russell believes he still has a long way to go in Mercedes. The young Briton's first year with the team has been brilliant. In addition to beating Hamilton, he was also able to win his first race (in Brazil).

During the Mercedes 2023 car launch event, Russell explained his view of the future. He admitted that he has performed at a high level, but feels that there is a lot of room for improvement. He said:

"Definitely still room to improve, and I feel that fills me with confidence. Because I still felt like I performed at a very high level, even though that I know I’ve got a lot more in my pocket."

Furthermore, George Russell revealed how he needs to improve tire management. He explained how Lewis Hamilton was able to manage tires much better than him in the 2022 F1 season. However, the 25-year-old was able to learn quite a lot from the veteran and will be applying everything in the coming years. Russell said:

"I think the main one is probably just the tyre management. Something I thought Lewis was very good at was maximizing the stints and getting the most out of the tires across a stint. That year under my belt being teammates with him, seeing some of his traits, has been really, really beneficial for me."

---

George Russell on Mick Schumacher joining Mercedes as a reserve driver

After Mick Schumacher left the Haas F1 team after two poor seasons and ended his collaboration with Ferrari, he was given a golden opportunity to join Mercedes as a reserve and simulator driver.

George Russell spoke about the young German and how he will greatly benefit from working with a top team and seeing how he and Lewis Hamilton operate. Russell said:

"I'm looking forward to see his views on the team and what he has to say, because I'm sure there is things that we can learn from him. I think, for him, seeing how this team operates, seeing how Lewis and I work together with the engineers, will probably be useful for him."