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1978 Formula 1 champion Mario Andretti says George Russell will have to live up to the standards set by Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas.
In an exclusive interview with RacingNews365.com, Mario Andretti gave his thoughts on George Russell’s long awaited full-time debut for Mercedes.
“He has some huge shoes to fill,” Andretti said.
“Not only vis-a-vis Lewis, but also vis-as-vis Valtteri, who was a strong, valuable teammate.
“We have seen what George did in Bahrain, on a one-off situation, so you would expect that he will show really strong [performance].
“But we always wait to see. You can draw a lot of conclusions, but until it’s proven…
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“Sometimes it’s a one-off that really works out and then when you’re really in there it becomes a little more difficult.”
Andretti went on to emphasize how big of an opportunity this is for Russell.
“It’s just another thing, another area to look forward to and to see how it plays out.
“I think it’s the biggest opportunity of his life, to really shine in the sport, with the top team at the moment.
“So we all wish him well, for sure,” he concluded.
