George Russell: “I felt confident with the car”

After a 2018 season which will go down as one of the worst in the history of Williams, the English team will be keen to bounce back in 2019 with a completely renewed driver duo. Frank Williams' structure will trust the tandem George Russell – Robert Kubica, mix of youth and experience.

The Briton and the Pole took the wheel of the car 2018 this Tuesday during the Pirelli tire tests in Abu Dhabi, Russell's first official outing with the FW41 in its new colors as owner.

The new champion F2, crowned in Abu Dhabi last weekend, says he is impatient to race alongside Robert Kubica. The Williams duo should, according to Russell, bring a new perspective to the Grove team. “There is no doubt about Robert’s natural talent, explains the young recruit.

He is very motivated and has a lot of knowledge about the car, about the technical aspect. Although 2018 was a difficult year for Williams, his experience and my knowledge from Mercedes can bring to the team. »

Russell's track debut offered him a clearly different context to his previous outings with Mercedes and Force India. The driver covered by the star brand believes he can now be more involved in the direction given to the technical teams around him.

“We ticked the boxes in the testing program without problems and got good information, Russell says. After the first two runs, there were some balance issues, and I wanted to modify it. Then I felt confident with the car. I had a good feeling to continue to attack and try to find the limit.

Each single-seater F1 is different. I only have experience with 2018 tires with Mercedes and Force India. It was vital to spend Grands Prix at Williams. Much more than just knowing people. I am more comfortable explaining my feelings.

The big difference is that I have more to say about what I want for the next season whereas with Mercedes or Force India, I was there to achieve precisely certain things in testing. »