Primed and ready to converse in the familiar surroundings of the dimly lit Mercedes motorhome, George Russell has the aura of a man who knows how significant 2025 is in his Formula One career. His seventh season overall, fourth with Mercedes, and first at the Silver Arrows without Lewis Hamilton as his teammate. Unyielding in his self-confidence and steadfast in his views, it’s time to step up to the mantle. With a contract expiring at the end of the season, it’s time to be No 1.
“I don’t feel I’ve reached my peak yet,” Russell tells The Independent in Imola, having recorded four podiums in six races, his best start to a season. “What’s changed? It’s been an evolution… I was just driving at 110 per cent too often in the past.
