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Former Williams boss opens up about her attempts to keep George Russell in the team.
Claire Williams admitted that she initially tried to prevent George Russell from moving up to Mercedes in the early 2020s, expressing regret over her decision.
Russell, a Mercedes protege, began his F1 career with Williams in 2019 following successful stints in Formula 2 and Formula 3.
Despite Williams’ struggle in form during Russell’s time with the team, his talent behind the wheel caught Mercedes’ attention, leading to speculation about him replacing Valtteri Bottas.
Russell’s impressive performance as Hamilton’s substitute at the 2020 Sakhir GP further fueled talks of a potential move to Mercedes.
In 2022, Russell finally secured a spot alongside Hamilton at Mercedes, three years after his F1 debut, as Williams had relinquished control of the team by then.
Claire Williams revealed that Russell had expressed interest in joining Mercedes earlier, but she chose to prioritize the team’s interests, emphasizing the challenge of balancing personal and professional considerations in such decisions.
