"If I'm finishing ahead of Lewis Hamilton, I won't put that on my CV": George Russell not interested in beating outgoing Mercedes teammate
Mercedes driver George Russell has said that dominating his teammate Lewis Hamilton in qualifying this year wasn't something that he would put on his CV. The 26-year-old has been the faster of the two British drivers in average one-lap pace driving the W15 in 2024. He currently leads the 39-year-old, arguably the greatest qualifier in F1 history as he has claimed 104 pole positions, 16-5, and is also ahead of him in the driver's championship by two points.
Speaking with ESPN ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Russell reflected on the head-to-head and wasn't concerned about beating Hamilton in qualifying as he believed the seven-time F1 world champion had not jelled with the W15.
"I'm just focused on my own job, to be honest. I jump in the car and try and drive as fast as possible and if I'm ahead of Lewis, it's great. He's my only reference," George Russell said. "He's the greatest driver of all time and has the most pole positions so it gives me confidence that if the car performs I know I can achieve the same.
I think maybe (this year's car) suited my driving style a little bit more than his, I'm not too sure. For me, we're still not where we want to be as a team so if I'm finishing ahead of Lewis Hamilton, I won't put that on my CV." (3:46)
Russell said he was baffled by the W15's performance in the first two practice sessions at the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix.
George Russell analyzes his Friday Practice Session in Las Vegas
As per Crash.net, two-time race winner Mercedes driver George Russell finished P2 and P3 in the FP1 and FP2 while Lewis Hamilton topped the standings on both occasions. The 26-year-old said he had no explanation for the sudden turn in performance.
“Yeah, incredible day. I'd love to tell you why, to be honest, we are scratching our heads a little bit, why it was so, so positive. Obviously, it was only practice," George Russell said. "Lewis did a really great job out there as well. He's been really on it since lap one, but the car has just been working.
But you know, we're on a street track. It's really dirty. It's getting faster and faster every lap. Because we were fast today, it doesn't necessarily mean we're going to replicate it tomorrow, when the track will be probably three seconds faster. So, pleasantly surprising.”
Russell was hampered on his fast lap during the FP2 session and could have leapfrogged Lando Norris for P2 to consecutive 1-2 finishes on Friday. However, Mercedes tended to slip back from its rivals in qualifying throughout the season after making setup changes overnight.