13/01/2022
NEWS STORY
George Russell is readying himself for the biggest and most exciting year of his professional career to date. A seat at Mercedes was always his for the taking, with it a case of when, not if, that step up the Formula One pecking order would be made.
He now sits at the controls of a car that his undoubted ability deserves. With great power, though, comes great responsibility. Promise and potential has been displayed to this point, but that must now be fulfilled under the brightest of spotlights.
The weight of added pressure lumped onto his shoulders will not be lost on Russell, with there a steely determination on his part to prove that he is precisely where he should be and that no lines will be fluffed on the grandest of sporting stages.
He cannot, however, allow himself to become infatuated with a pursuit of perfection to the point that he eats, sleeps and breathes the intricacies of aerodynamics, winglets and tyre changes. Dedication to a craft is to be admired, but there has to be down time.
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The best in the business have secured such a standing by perfecting an ability to turn a racing switch on and off. A sport that pushes the limits of human endurance over the course of eight gruelling months is a big enough test on the track, never mind off it.
Escaping the reality of everyday life is important in any profession, with friends, family and hobbies allowing a release valve to be hit at any given time. Russell is no different in needing something other than quick fingers to grind his gears.
Other interests
Like millions of others around the world, Russell is partial to a bit of football. By his own admission he is not a fanatic, but strong ties to Wolverhampton Wanderers through his father mean that he has another sporting mast to nail colours to.
An ambitious Premier League outfit from Molineux are currently 22/1 for FA Cup glory within football odds at Marathonbet, with there an outside chance that major silverware could make its way to the West Midlands this season.
Russell will be a considerably shorter price for ultimate glory each and every time he lines up on the grind alongside illustrious team-mate Lewis Hamilton, but interest in events elsewhere is building for a man who knows all about life as an underdog.
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He has said: “I've only been to the Wolves about eight or nine games over the years, but each time I come to the games I get converted into an even bigger fan.”
A useful distraction may have been found. A man that earned the nickname 'Mr Saturday' during his time at Williams can now shift some responsibility on that day of the week into the hands of those chasing a white ball around a field, rather than a Red Bull down a track.
The exploits of fellow sportsmen in old gold can be followed from afar, allowing thoughts to drift a little from the demands of a day job that requires him to deliver for the Silver Arrows.