Martin Brundle believes George Russell boasts the confidence necessary to flourish at Mercedes ahead of the new Formula 1 season in 2022.
The Sky F1 expert believes the young British star has the all makings of a great driver and has backed him not to crumble under the pressure.
Russell has impressed racing for Mercedes on two occasions in recent years as a stand-in due to COVID absences but now has the chance to go all the way and compete for titles after landing a permanent seat alongside seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
Brundle cracked out a gardening analogy to describe how he feels when new drivers are thrown into the F1 melting pot.
He said: “The pressure will be intense. It’s like a bright light on a flower, like intense heat on a flower. Some flowers flourish, others wilt and die. I think George has got the confidence to handle it.
“He’s certainly got the talent and he’s got a feel, a touch and a gift behind the wheel of a racing car. I have no doubt about that and the speed and the fitness. And he knows the team – he’s not stepping into an all-new team. He knows them all so well because of his years there as a junior driver.
“He’s got the best chance of anybody and I’m expecting great things from him.
“I also imagine in the early stages he’ll be looking at some of Lewis’ data and thinking, “What? How is he doing that?” as we’ve seen in the past with Michael [Schumacher].
“The biggest challenge is turning up every weekend and being absolutely on it and having your A game. That’s what Lewis and the real championship contenders just keep doing, they keep turning up and delivering.
“That will be the hardest thing for George. You can have an off weekend in a Williams at the back of the grid. You can’t in a Mercedes at the front of the grid.”
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