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• George Russell joined Formula in 2019.
• Russell is yet to be out qualified by a team mate.
• After 31 races, Russell hasn't scored a point in F1.
• For more motoring stories, go to www.Wheels24.co.za
George Russell has been in Formula 1 since 2019, driving for the ailing Williams team. Russell, though, has never scored a single point in the one and a half years he's been driving an F1 car, with his best finishing position being 11th.
He finished in that position twice in his career: first at the chaotic 2019 German Grand Prix and again at the Tuscan GP in 2020. Both races were marred with incidents, which played into Russell's hands. But the British driver is yet to score a point.
But there is an aspect of his young F1 career that Russell owns with pride: a team mate has never beaten him in qualifying.
Getting one up
When Russell joined F1 last year, he was paired with a returning Robert Kubica. Kubica, who has been trying to get back into the sport following a horrific rally accident in 2011, was thrown a lifeline by the Williams team. His role was simple: bring the team back to a competitive level and guide our new young driver, Russell.
While Kubica did his best to assist the performance-declining team, Williams could never lift themselves from the doldrums. And while Kubica did score a point at the 2019 German GP, the same race Russell ended in 11th, that was the team's only point for 2019. Russell, though, out qualified Kubica at every race last year. Whether they were filling the last two slots or Russell was two or more positions ahead of his team mate, Kubica never could get the better of his fast-charging team mate.
READ: Is George Russell ready for a move to Mercedes and teaming up with Hamilton in 2021?
In 2020, with a new team mate in Nicholas Latifi, Russell is again on the button and is yet to be outqualified by his partner. With ten races done and seven remaining, Russell has shown that he has the speed over one lap, as well as the grit to compete much higher up the pecking order. In light of that, don't be too surprised to see Russell in a Mercedes when 2022 comes around…
