2009 Components 1 champion Jenson Button has backed George Russell to have the ability to mentally take care of the strain of the 2026 drivers’ championship combat because the Mercedes driver heads into the season as a favorite.
“From the skin, sure,” Button informed Sky Sports activities F1, when requested if Russell has every part he must win the 2026 drivers’ championship. “However he is not been in that place to combat for it. So we do not actually know the way he will take care of it.
“I’d say he will take care of it very effectively. However I believed I’d, and I did not,” he laughed. “It is all the time a tough factor when you could have that a lot strain, and you place that a lot strain on your self to succeed, issues change mentally. It is a psychological sport from then on. Since you’re proper, he has every part that he wants. He is very, very quick, very clever, and he is obtained a terrific crew.”
Former Aston Martin strategist Bernie Collins added: “There may be expectation, however that is what George and so many drivers, that is what they have been ready for. That is what he is executed all his junior profession to get to this second.
“By his time in Mercedes, he hoped that this chance would come. And we noticed it by means of final yr within the paddock. Though the automobile wasn’t the strongest automobile on the market at many occasions, his confidence has grown. He is grown into that management place inside the crew.”
Russell has earned the nicknames of ‘Mr Consistency’ and ‘Mr Saturday’ over the past couple of years, after managing to constantly ship and keep away from race retirements.
Former World Champion Jenson Button
Picture by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Photos
“That was from his first race in F1,” Button added. “It isn’t one thing that he is simply realized over time. Clearly, he is grown into the game, however he is appeared calm and assured from the phrase go.
“We most likely anticipated him to have received extra races by now, from when he jumped into the Mercedes, however clearly that was after they have been on type of the slope of efficiency. Nevertheless it’s actually good to see that he is nonetheless in that crew when they’re performing as they seem like they’re performing in ’26.”
Russell topped the timesheets in FP3, forward of the Australian Grand Prix, with a time of 1m19.053s, 0.616 seconds faster than his former team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who had the second quickest time.
We wish your opinion!
What would you wish to see on Motorsport.com?
– The Motorsport.com Workforce
