F1 prodigy George Russell on why he's happy to wait

So, in his own mind, he’s ready to move to a top F1 drive?

“Definitely,” he says, without hesitation. “I believe in myself and I feel ready to fight for victories and world championships. I had the massive challenge in Bahrain last year, being thrown in at the deep end with no preparation and no laps in the car. I think it has been proven how difficult it is to jump between cars and get up to speed. I felt far from up to speed for that race but we still managed to do a pretty decent job so I think I feel ready. Obviously.”

It’s a fascinating insight into Russell’s way of thinking. He did an extraordinary job in Bahrain, when he stood at short notice in for a Covid-infected Hamilton, and seemed to be on course for victory when the team messed up. But Russell has made his mark.

“The weekend went well,” he says, “but I don’t think I performed to my maximum. That is normal if you try something new. You are not going to get to grips with it on your very first occasion and that was the position I found myself in.”

Some argue that Hamilton has always been flattered by the cars and that Russell’s performance in Bahrain showed that.

“The best drivers often find themselves in the best car,” he says. “There is no doubt that Lewis has probably had the best car over the last few years, but in tricky circumstances, he’s the one who doesn’t drop the ball. He’s the one who can sometimes pull something out of the bag. So it goes hand in hand. If you’re a good driver, you can often pull more from the car, but if the car is good, that enhances the driver as well. The package between them has been pretty formidable.”

As confident as he is, does Russell feel he still has areas where he is weak?

“I wouldn’t say weak but there are definitely areas where I need to improve,” he says, with his usual candour. “Cars are constantly adapting and tyres are changing. It is a tricky sport but I guess that is what makes it so great. I think you have to learn to be adaptable. Definitely one thing I need to improve is my first laps. That is really odd because in my whole career - since I was eight years old - race craft and first laps were probably my strongest points. I was never the greatest qualifier in my junior career and in karting, but I could always move forward. That was one of my selling points to Toto [Wolff]. Statistically, I moved forward from where I started. Since I got into F1, it hasn’t been the case.

"It’s very different racing at the back compared to racing at the front, because you always have this concertina effect. When you are in the front two rows, it is fast and flowing, and when there is a gap, there is often no one ahead for the gap you are going for. When you start at the back of the grid, there’s a very different dynamic and I haven’t really got to grips with it. I’ve tried to improve but it is very difficult.”

So has he got the maximum out of the Williams this year? “I wouldn’t say so,” he admits. “No. In Imola, I should have scored points - regardless of how things panned out. We should have come away with points. So no is the answer.”