George Russell says that he and team-mate Lewis Hamilton enjoyed a “harmonious” relationship throughout the 2022 season.
Having been associated with the team as a junior member for several years, Russell joined Mercedes as a full-time driver in 2022.
He gathered F1 experience from 2019 to 2021 competing for Williams, driving mostly toward the back of the field.
His arrival at Mercedes fell in line with the team’s slump in form amid the introduction of new technical regulations – from the get-go, it was unable to compete against rivals Red Bull and Ferrari.
Mercedes spent much of the campaign attempting to understand and improve its car, taking just a single race victory during the year.
The win came at the penultimate round in Brazil, with Russell fending off Hamilton to secure his maiden grand prix victory.
READ MORE: Russell: Huge relief to beat Hamilton to Brazil 2022 F1 win
Forced to work together to improve the W13’s pace, Russell says that there were no internal issues between himself and Hamilton throughout the 2022 campaign.
“The relationship has been harmonious,” he said.
“What impressed me the most with Lewis is seeing how he works with the team, how he gets the most out of the people around him, how he continues to keep morale high when moments are tough.
“And ultimately what I already knew is how damn fast he is and how much of a challenge it is being teammates with a guy like him.”
Mercedes is hopeful that its findings throughout the 2022 season will aid its form when the 2023 campaign gets underway in March.
Russell, who will be entering his second year with the Brackley-based squad, says he is thrilled by the prospect of a comeback.
“Knowing the potential that we have within this team makes me excited for 2023,” he commented.
“It is no secret how fantastic this operation is in Brackley and Brixworth and what the whole team is capable of.
“Obviously after a setback such as 2022 it’s really exciting knowing that we have the possibility to come back through and fight again in 2023.”
Beat him again next season. Then come back this time next year and tell us the same thing.