Former F1 World Champion: "Would like to see Russell at Renault of Racing Point"

Jenson Button secretly hopes that George Russell will drive for a team like Renault or Racing Point next year before joining Mercedes as a challenger to Lewis Hamilton in 2022. According to the former Formula 1 driver, the step to Mercedes is now just a little too big for the young Briton.

"Going up against Lewis is tough anyway but when you’re that inexperienced it’s really difficult," Button said talking to Sky Sports during the first British Grand Prix weekend.

According to the single world champion, it wouldn't be unwise for Russell to make the switch to a race stable in the sub-top first. “I would love to see him in kind of a Renault or Racing Point with a very competitive team-mate," says Button, who sees the preconditions. "Going up against them, because he’s confident, he has proven his speed, his fitness which you really need in Formula 1 now."

Internal competition

According to the analyst of the British television channel, it is clever that Russell has ensured that Williams has taken such a big step compared to last season. "But we need to see him against someone that’s also very competitive," At the moment Russell is taking on rookie Nicholas Latifi, who so far has made little impression in the first four games in 2020.