Russell: I'm ready to fight for wins and championships

It's no secret that Russell has made a superb case for himself to be considered Lewis Hamilton's teammate in 2022, but the partnership is not a slam-dunk as Valtteri Bottas is rightfully still very much appreciated by the World Champs.

But Russell can no longer be ignored by Toto Wolff who will make the final call on the matter in consultation with Hamilton sure to have input on the future of both candidate drivers.

Speaking to Autocar, 23-year-old said: "I’ve been part of Mercedes since 2016 and I have probably done over 100 days on the simulator for them in the course of the years before I joined Williams.

"And I am in constant communication with them after every single race, so it is a bit of a strange position because they ultimately choose where I can race. The buck stops with them - but obviously, it is in my hands to do a good job to show what I can do," added Russell.

In any other team, Bottas would probably be a solid driver, perhaps even a number one, but his problem at Mercedes is that his teammate Hamilton simply keeps rising, raising the bar. Valtteri may never beat Lewis one-on-one but he has been a vital, hassle-free, driver for the team. The best wingman they could wish for.

For sure Russell knows what he will be stepping into should he get the nod: “Everyone wants to go up against the best driver. Everyone believes in themselves, but for me, I’d love that challenge because the pressure would be off and I’d find myself in a win-win scenario.

"I’d go in with that mentality if I ever found myself up against one of the best drivers of all time. You have got nothing to lose - which I think is great really.

"That is the sort of situation that Sergio Perez finds himself in at the moment. He’s got no pressure because he’s got nothing to lose - and so you go out there and enjoy it, and show them what you can do."

And of course, Russell knows he is ready for the challenge: "I believe in myself and I feel ready to fight for victories and world championships. I had the massive challenge in Bahrain last year, being thrown in at the deep end with no preparation and no laps in the car.

"I think it has been proven how difficult it is to jump between cars and get up to speed. I felt far from up to speed for that race but we still managed to do a pretty decent job so I think I feel ready. Obviously.”

The 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix proved to be the turning point in Russell's career. We all knew he was very good, but on that weekend it dawned on all that he was a great in the making. That he did not win his first race as a fully-fledged Merc driver was down to fate being unkind.

But - with five hours in the car - he shone on those nights, and with it made a case for a big team step up that cannot be denied; Rusell recalled: “The weekend went well. but I don’t think I performed to my maximum.

"That is normal if you try something new. You are not going to get to grips with it on your very first occasion and that was the position I found myself in.”

The fact that one weekend he was at the wrong end of the grid with Williams, stepping into the Black Arrow and he suddenly was a front-runner, with race-winning potential.

Russell continued: “There is no doubt that Lewis has probably had the best car over the last few years, but in tricky circumstances, he’s the one who doesn’t drop the ball. He’s the one who can sometimes pull something out of the bag.

So it goes hand in hand. If you’re a good driver, you can often pull more from the car, but if the car is good, that enhances the driver as well. The package between them has been pretty formidable.”

Now, 46 races into his Formula 1 career, Russell has evolved from a prodigy into a mature driver that has 'team leader' written all over him, but he does not believe he is the finished article as yet: "There are definitely areas where I need to improve.

"Cars are constantly adapting and tyres are changing. It is a tricky sport but I guess that is what makes it so great. I think you have to learn to be adaptable. Definitely, one thing I need to improve is my first laps. That is really odd because in my whole career - since I was eight years old - race craft and first laps were probably my strongest points.

"I was never the greatest qualifier in my junior career and in karting, but I could always move forward. That was one of my selling points to Toto [Wolff]. Statistically, I moved forward from where I started. Since I got into F1, it hasn’t been the case."

While Sakhir, the only race he subbed for COVID-19 struck Hamilton, may have thrust Russell into the spotlight as he lined up second on the grid but a week later his reality bit as he qualified 18th

"It’s very different racing at the back compared to racing at the front," explained Russell. "Because you always have this concertina effect. When you are in the front two rows, it is fast and flowing, and when there is a gap, there is often no one ahead for the gap you are going for.

"When you start at the back of the grid, there’s a very different dynamic and I haven’t really got to grips with it. I’ve tried to improve but it is very difficult.”

So difficult that he has yet to score a point driving for Williams. He has been close but Lady Luck has been elusive, but not something the Englishman buys into: “I am not one to believe in luck.

"To be honest, you make your own luck. If I find myself in a world championship-winning car next year, I am not going to turn around and say: That’s lucky! But if I don’t get it, I am not going to turn around and say it was unlucky.

"You are where you are because of what you achieve and what you accomplish, whether it is on track or off track. That’s my mentality and I’m not relying on luck for anything. I’m not hoping that everyone crashes and I win the race.

"I’m relying on me doing the best job possible with the team - and if we come home 12th, that’s the maximum. We cannot rely on others to break down. We need to do a better job," added Russell.