Charles Leclerc: “George Russell deserves the Mercedes seat! »

A real highlight of the transfer market, the last seat Mercedes is played between two pilots: Valtteri Bottas and George Russell. If the Finn has been a starter for the German team since 2017 and has the support of Lewis Hamilton, it is the young Briton who seems to be the favorite to become the teammate of the seven-time world champion. Opinions are divided in the paddock but two drivers decided to speak. Headlining, Charles Leclerc :

“I think it would be good for George Russell to get the Mercedes seat because he deserves it, admits Leclerc. It is always difficult to judge the level of performance in Formula 1 because of the level differences between the cars. But clearly with Russell at Williams, we see what a good job he does. He is constantly present and shows beautiful things. Already in the past when I rode against him, I knew how good he was. It would just be great to see such a talented guy in this Mercedes seat. »

The Monegasque is not the only one to side with the Williams driver. Max Verstappen also believes that Russell deserves to be Lewis Hamilton's teammate from next year.

“Of course George is a fast driver, says Max Verstappen. He can't stay at Williams for life. He deserves better than that. But in the end, it's Mercedes who makes the decision and it's not fun for him to be in this situation. From my point of view, he is an excellent driver and he is still very young. It is therefore logical that young talents take the place at some point.”

All that remains is to wait for Mercedes' decision. She was already due to arrive after the summer break but the German team made it clear in the Spa-Francorchamps paddock that we would still have to be a little patient before knowing Lewis Hamilton's teammate for 2022.