There is a school of thought that George Russell earned his promotion to Mercedes at precisely the wrong time, for it coincided with that team’s plunge from frontrunner to also-ran in the new ground-effect era. That’s one way of looking at it; another is to say that those circumstances have been the making of him.

Undoubtedly Mercedes’ fall from grace has Russell in a competitive hinterland rather than in a consistently race-winning car. But it has also enabled him to develop his craft outside the spotlight – and, crucially, never having to play the compliant number-two role to a seven-time world champion looking for their eighth.

We want to hear from you!

Let us know what you would like to see from us in the future.

Take our survey

– The Autosport.com Team