Russell: 'If you beat Hamilton in a Mercedes you are usually champion'

His first season with Mercedes, he may not have gone as he had hoped, but Russell can still look back on last year with satisfaction. Not only did he win his first Grand Prix at the last minute, he also managed to beat Hamilton to a 35-point lead in the championship.

Russell ready to become champion

Mercedes struggled all year with the rebellious W13, but took a big step forward with the comprehensive update package the team introduced in Austin. Russell hopes to continue the upward trend and compete for the world title in 2023. "I feel absolutely ready to win a world championship," he said in a conversation with Sky Sports.

The Mercedes driver is happy to have beaten his teammate in his first year but makes a sidenote. "I guess if you told me that at the start of the year, I would have been extraordinarily happy because if you beat Lewis Hamilton in a Mercedes, most of the time that means you be a world champion," he explains.

The latter did not materialise, but Russell calls last season a "hugely important" learning year. "I'm definitely going to have a really strong winter. I'm going to work really hard with my team. Every single person at Mercedes' factory is going to be pushing like hell to deliver a car, to give us a chance to go fight next season," Russell said.