George Russell is very interested in learning from Valtteri Bottas, who has returned to his team until 2021. Bottas had previously driven for Alfa Romeo in 2022, using Ferrari’s engine, which is considered more powerful than Mercedes’ engine and has a different response, especially in qualifying. Before Bottas’ return to Mercedes as a third driver, Russell is eager to see if the team can gain some valuable insights from Bottas’ experience with Ferrari to help their own progress.
Bottas’ experience will be huge, according to Russell, as he has knowledge of the team and can provide valuable information in simulators and on the track. Russell explains that having someone with Bottas’ knowledge will be great, and it may also be a way to learn from Ferrari’s secrets, which they may have gained from Lewis Hamilton.
It is essential to know what other teams are doing, and Russell believes that learning from Bottas’ experience with the Ferrari engine during his time at Sauber could be key. He says that it is crucial to keep an open mind about what others are doing, and Bottas has a wealth of knowledge to share. Russell and Bottas have a professional relationship, which has grown over time, and they often meet in hotels or at the gym.
In the past, there was a perception that Russell and Bottas did not have a solid relationship, but they have put that behind them. It is worth noting that Russell replaced Lewis Hamilton at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix due to Hamilton’s COVID-19 diagnosis and performed exceptionally well, beating Hamilton’s pace on the track. However, an error in the pits, where the team put the wrong tires on Russell’s car, cost him his first victory in F1, and Sergio Pérez ultimately took his first win with the Racing Point team, which was using a Mercedes engine.