George Russell admitted he was “trying too hard” at times during his first season with Mercedes last year and says he has “definitely still room to improve”.
Russell out-scored his seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton, and claimed Mercedes’ only grand prix victory of 2022 at Interlagos. However he sees plenty of room for improvement in his own performances.
“The things that I learned most from always were those difficult races and of races that, let’s say relatively speaking, failed or underperformed,” Russell told media including RaceFans at the launch of the team’s new car today.
“Looking back on those races, I would say most of the reasons were from trying too hard. And that was a big lesson I learned, that sometimes the harder you try and the more you push, sometimes the result isn’t better.”
He admitted pushing too hard in some races last season. “You’ve got to be very disciplined with yourself sometimes in your approach of knowing how hard to push yourself.
“It’s the same if you went to the gym every single day and was doing maximum bench presses every single day, at one point you’re probably going to injure yourself. It’s not the most efficient way to get stronger.
“That’s representative of racing. If you go out there and you drive the thing in anger, pushing it beyond the limit every single lap, that is not the fastest way to drive. Those races were probably validation for me,” Russell added.
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
Knowing he has improvements to make in his own driving has motivated Russell for the season ahead. “I think the great thing with Formula 1 and this sport is it’s constantly evolving and it’s a new challenge every single year,” he said.
“There’s definitely still room to improve, and I feel that fills me with confidence because I still felt like I performed at a very, very high level. Even though I know that I’ve got a lot more in my pocket.”
Despite finishing ahead of his team mate in last year’s world championship, Russell says there are still areas he needs to raise his game to match Hamilton.
“I think the main one is probably just the tyre management,” he explained. “It’s something Lewis is very good at, maximising the stints and getting the most out of the tyres across a stint.
“That year under my belt being team mates with him, seeing some of his traits, it’s been really, really beneficial for me. So I feel like I was on quite a steep learning curve in that regard. But still, I feel like I’ve got a lot more to come.”
Bringing the F1 news from the source
RaceFans strives to bring its readers news directly from the key players in Formula 1. We are able to do this thanks in part to the generous backing of our RaceFans Supporters.
By contributing £1 per month or £12 per year (or the equivalent in other currencies) you can help cover the costs involved in producing original journalism: Travelling, writing, creating, hosting, contacting and developing.
We have been proudly supported by our readers for over 10 years. If you enjoy our independent coverage, please consider becoming a RaceFans Supporter today. As a bonus, all our Supporters can also browse the site ad-free. Sign up or find out more via the links below:
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
