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Little will change for Russell when he becomes Mercedes’ No. driver in 2025

- Deepanraj Ganesan

Every Formula One driver's path to one of the 20 coveted seats on the grid is unique. For George Russell, it began with an e-mail he sent in 2014, when he was just 16.

The recipient was Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. Russell's request then was bold but simple: He wanted a shot at racing in an F1 car.

Now, a decade later, the boy who wanted to race in the pinnacle of motor sports finds himself in one of the hottest seats in Fl. With seventime world champion Lewis Hamilton moving to Ferrari in 2025, Russell is ready to step into the spotlight as Mercedes' No. 1 driver.

The pressure is on for the team's next in line, but the 26-year-old Briton, who will be joined by Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli next season, told The Straits Times that he will not alter his approach to racing.

He said: "It doesn't really change how I go about my business. Because my job is to put my helmet on and drive as fast as possible and that doesn't matter if I've got a seven-time world champion or a rookie as my teammate.

"For sure, the team will be leaning on me a little more than they have in the past, but my job is to race the car as fast as possible."