Why Mercedes should sign Russell for 2021

Mercedes should move Valtteri Bottas aside and bring George Russell in for 2021, but not for the reasons you may think.

Toto Wolff has said he does not see it as a ”realistic situation at this moment in time”, obviously because Bottas has a contract for next year, and Russell will be in the final year of his deal with Williams.

But if Mercedes is to maintain its dominance well into the future, this is the EXACT moment in time that it must be made realistic.

Russell’s career has been on a set course ever since he walked into Wolff’s office at Mercedes in a suit and tie at the age of 15 and gave a PowerPoint presentation to explain why the firm should back him on his journey to the top.

Russell immediately won the GP3 and Formula 2 titles in successive seasons, both as a rookie, the latter by beating Lando Norris and Alex Albon. Since joining F1 at the back of the grid in a Williams, he has proved he can drive a car faster than it should go.

But the question remained, could he handle the big pressure at the front of Formula 1?

Well, George. Question answered. And then some.

“We learned that George Russell is somebody to count on in the future. He has all the potential, all the ingredients a future star needs,” Wolff said on Sunday.

But here’s why that future needs to be sooner rather than later.

PERFECT IN EVERY WAY

To deserve a place at Mercedes, you don’t just have to be a fast driver, you have to be near perfect in every area. There is no denying Bottas is quality in all these areas, but what Russell displayed in Bahrain was on another level.

Methodical in practice

It was no surprise that Russell, despite the discomfort of having to squeeze into a cockpit made for the shorter Lewis Hamilton, got on with the job on Friday, but he did so in exemplary style, topping both sessions.

Bottas was faster, albeit his two quickest laps were deleted for exceeding track limits. But it’s not about the headline times, it’s about the feedback.

Wolff said: “He has known the team for a while but it could have gone either way. We are all impressed but we are not surprised. His kindness about approaching it and just a really considered approach.”

Calm on the clock in quail

After conceding to a horrific FP3, Russell stayed calm and then delivered in qualifying. From past performances, that was to be expected. But to finish so close behind Bottas - just 0.026 seconds adrift - and claim a front row spot was not a given.

Wolff said: "It was important to see how quickly he settles in and how solid of a job he could deliver and he did that. I think what is most impressive is the sheer driving. All the other things around were as expected, the driving was impressive.”

Composed when leading; racy when needed

Russell’s race in Bahrain was like a microcosm of many of the challenges that come with being in a top team: getting away from the front-row start; managing an early safety car while leading; building an advantage that could be maintained through the pit stops, and pacing the race to take the chequered flag. The only problem was that last bit didn’t happen.

But while the win was not to be due to the team’s pit stop blunder on lap 63 which forced Russell back in again soon after, he actually did even more to prove his credentials.

Yes, he was on better tyres than his rivals, but the Mercedes is not a car that handles traffic easily. The way he dispatched Bottas, Lance Stroll and Esteban Ocon, then reeled in leader Sergio Perez was firm, determined, and clinical. That’s front-line racing talent.

Wolff said: “His racing was unbelievable. He got off the starting line with the best reaction time in a car that isn't built for him, he got into the lead, drove a brilliant race and could have won twice.”

MATURITY TO TAKE SECOND BEST

Russell knows what makes sense for his career. He has sat patiently in the Williams for two years, biding his time, making his mark, waiting for his moment.

If Mercedes was to bring him in for 2021 alongside Hamilton, it would surely have to be as a clear, or at least accepting, number two. That’s not what the fans want, but as much of a racer Russell is, he would follow the party line for the sake of his future. And what an opportunity it would be: the apprentice learning from the master.

Russell proved in Sakhir that he is more than capable of being a number two driver: able to pick up the points needed for the constructors’ championship with the pace and talent to win when the opportunity presents itself. More importantly, he has the maturity to accept when he must bow to the master.

For Mercedes, it is hard to argue that Bottas and Hamilton are that perfect partnership right now. Bottas might not like it, but while the margins are tight there appears to be little he can do about bettering his team-mate on most occasions, yet he is still right there to collect the points to help the team.

But this is when Mercedes must think of the team’s future, and there is more to that than what happens out on track.

THE NEXT GENERATION

Formula 1 will change radically in 2022, with a new set of regulations that the teams will begin working on from the start of next year.

Last weekend was the last piece of the jigsaw for Russell to put in place when it comes to proving his worth as a racer, and his seat is surely now a certainty for 2022. But thinking ahead, there are far more benefits to bringing Russell into the fold in 2021, one year early.

Russell has already worked with Mercedes on developing its previous cars, both as a test driver and in the simulator, giving feedback on ‘virtual’ developments. Given he is clearly now the team’s future, to have him embedded throughout the development period for the 2022 car could be a stroke of genius.

Next year is when the baseline will be set for a new generation of cars. If Hamilton decides to retire at the end of next year, for argument's sake, ideally for him with an eighth title, then Russell would be in the perfect position to become the new leader, not only race-prepared but also engrained in the new car’s development.

So, it’s not for the relative performances in Bahrain that Bottas should be moved aside for 2021, nor is it because the Finn has done anything other than an exemplary team job in the last four years.

It’s because if Mercedes wants its dominance to continue post-Hamilton, and if Russell is to be the one to do it, it needs to act now. Before it’s too late.

PS: Sorry Valtteri, but it just makes sense.

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