George Russell feels ready for the world championship title – He cites Michael Schumacher as a role model for his patience – Controversial statements about Max Verstappen
George Russell sees himself as a Formula 1 driver who has what it takes to win the title. After a solid 2025 season with Mercedes, the Briton is looking to the future with confidence, having already successfully held his own against Lewis Hamilton in their three years together.
With roughly equal points but a higher number of wins, Russell has now definitively established himself as the team’s undisputed lead driver alongside rookie Kimi Antonelli.
In 2025, Russell was the only driver other than the three title contenders to win a Grand Prix. His consistent performance was instrumental in Mercedes clinching second place in the Constructors’ World Championship. In 24 races, he achieved 18 top-five finishes and only missed out on the points once, when he finished eleventh in Monaco. In addition, the Briton can boast a remarkable streak of 45 races without an accident-related retirement. When asked if this was his best season in the premier class, Russell replied: “It was definitely my most solid in terms of performance—the most consistent, the fewest mistakes. So yes, overall, it was.”
Verstappen as the “gold standard”
“I definitely know I can do it—I can keep up with the guys at the top,” said the Mercedes driver combatively. He has one rival in particular in his sights: “Max [Verstappen] is obviously the gold standard at the moment.”
“He’s the one I want to go head-to-head with. He’s the only driver in the field I’d want to be teammates with to see how competitive I am.”
So far, however, Russell has not really been able to threaten Verstappen, as the Dutchman has usually had the superior car at his disposal. Although the Silver Arrow was more often on par with Verstappen in 2025 than in previous years, it was mostly not enough to pose a serious challenge.
Schumacher as a role model for patience
Russell, who is preparing for his eighth Formula 1 season and his fifth with Mercedes, draws inspiration from Michael Schumacher. Schumacher managed to build a successful team at Ferrari and won the title in his fifth season at Maranello. This marked the beginning of a series of five world championships that followed the setbacks of 1996 to 1999.
“I always remember Schumacher at Ferrari, that it took five years with the team before the first championship came,” adds Russell. “People only remember the glory years, but the majority forget those four years without a title.”
This perspective also helps him put his own results into perspective. “And whether I finish second in the championship or 20th, it’s honestly almost the same thing. You don’t win, and that was also a learning process for me, coming from Williams, where I was at the back every weekend.”
“That was so frustrating, but now I’m in this position and still not fighting for the championship. It’s not really that different, if that makes sense,“ Russell explains his philosophy. ”Either you’re fighting for the championship or you’re not, and if you’re not, no one ever wants to fight for second place.“
His conclusion is therefore: ”I’m ready for it, but I know my time will come—I have to be patient.”