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Nico Rosberg says “we all know Lewis had a bit of an unlucky, scruffy season where the car was not going well and they were experimenting a lot, so that kind of mixes things up a little bit”.
2022 was the best season of George Russell’s F1 career. He not only managed to win his first F1 race, but he also finished ahead of his team-mate Lewis Hamilton in the Drivers’ Championship.
However, it has to be said that Lewis has spent the first half of the season trying to find a way to improve the troubled W13, and he sacrificed his performance to do so.
Former Mercedes driver, and 2016 F1 champion, Nico Rosberg agrees that this very fact makes it hard to compare the two drivers’ performances, but he is still impressed by Russell.
“George has just done a very good season,” Rosberg told Sky Sports F1.
“So consistent, getting the maximum out of the car all the time so it is hugely impressive for his first year there in Mercedes.
“Lewis is still at his very best so to beat Lewis is just an unbelievable achievement.
“We all know Lewis had a bit of an unlucky, scruffy season where the car was not going well and they were experimenting a lot, so that kind of mixes things up a little bit.
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“But that doesn’t take anything away from George who did an incredibly good job.”
The German then said it will be interesting to see how team boss Toto Wolff will manage his two drivers once they’re both fighting for the championship.
“Lewis is still at his best so to beat him over a season is so tough, but it will be so great to watch because those guys are so closely matched.
“George, certainly, is a future world champion. I am also looking forward to watching how Toto will manage the two drivers.
“One thing is managing them when they are fighting for 10th place, or sixth place.
“That is a whole different story to when you are managing drivers fighting for race win after race win, or even a championship. That is a completely different ballgame.
“So that’s something I am certainly looking forward to,” Rosberg concluded.
