Claire Williams has declared that no other driver on the Formula One grid is more deserving of a world championship than George Russell, whom she described as a "real gentleman". The 28-year-old heads into the season-opening Australian Grand Prix this Sunday as the bookmakers’ favourite, with his Mercedes team widely anticipated to hold a significant advantage over rivals Red Bull, Ferrari, and McLaren.
Williams, former team principal of the Williams team, gave Russell his F1 debut in 2019. He spent three seasons with the British outfit before moving to Mercedes alongside seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton. Despite joining as Mercedes' dominance waned, Russell outscored Hamilton in two of their three seasons together and was the only driver outside the primary title contenders to win a race last year.
“George has always had a world championship in him,” Williams told the Press Association. “It has been a long and arduous road to get to a point where he is fully in contention, but in my mind, nobody would deserve it more. He has worked so hard, and his whole life has provided the building blocks for this moment.” She added that his time at Williams during the team's toughest period gave him resilience, and that he is now ready to deliver if he has the car.
Williams, who will set her alarm for the 4am UK start in Melbourne, praised Russell's character: “George was one of my favourite drivers. There are no sides to him. He never thought he was more important than anyone else. The best way to describe George is that he is a real gentleman, both on and off the track. My dad would have agreed and appreciated that.” She noted that a title battle between Russell, Lando Norris, and Lewis Hamilton would be “incredible for British motor sport.”
