Seven-Time Grand Prix Winner · Formula 1

George Russell

Three seasons in a car that could not score, one afternoon in a car that could, and a Mercedes seat ever since. The official Russell collection: Williams, Sakhir, and Interlagos.

Nationality
British
Born
15 February 1998 · King's Lynn, England
Teams
Williams · Mercedes
Wins
7 (2022–2026)
Car number
63
Best season
3rd (2026, in progress)
Shop the Collection Watch highlights
Graphic illustration of Formula 1 driver George Russell wearing his black Mercedes-AMG racing suit, featuring his black and turquoise race car and name lettering against a dark bac
Seven-Time Grand Prix Winner
2019 — Present
7
Grand Prix Wins
29
Podium Finishes
11
Pole Positions
1193
Career Points

Who is George Russell?

George Russell (born 15 February 1998) is a British Formula 1 driver who races for Mercedes. He has seven Grand Prix wins, eleven pole positions and 29 podium finishes from 163 starts. He spent three seasons at Williams before replacing Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes in 2022, taking his first win at Interlagos that year, and led the World Championship for the first time in 2026.

Full name
George William Russell
Nationality
British
F1 career
2019–present
Best known for
Leading the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix for Mercedes

By KozmozInspire Editorial Published Updated 7 sources

Rider Profile

George Russell: Full Biography

George Russell is a British racing driver who races for Mercedes. He has taken seven Grand Prix victories, eleven pole positions and 29 podium finishes from 163 starts.

The Junior Champion He won the BRDC Formula 4 title in 2014 and the Autosport BRDC Award that year, took the GP3 Series in 2017, and won Formula 2 at the first attempt in 2018. Mercedes signed him to their junior programme and placed him at Williams for 2019.

Three Years at Williams The car was rarely capable of points. He out-qualified his team mate Robert Kubica at all twenty-one Grands Prix in his rookie season and finished the year without scoring. His first points came in 2020 in a different car entirely, and his first podium in 2021, at a rain-shortened Belgian Grand Prix.

Mercedes He replaced Valtteri Bottas for 2022 and won at Interlagos in his first season with the team. Since Lewis Hamilton’s departure he has led the team, finishing fourth in 2025 with 319 points. He won the opening race of 2026 in Australia and led the World Championship for the first time in his career.

The Career

Three Chapters That Defined George Russell

Chapter 01

Twenty-One out of Twenty-One

He arrived at Williams in 2019 as the reigning Formula 2 champion and found a car he described as four seconds off the pace. He out-qualified Robert Kubica at every one of the twenty-one Grands Prix that season and finished the year with no points to Kubica's one — the single point coming at the German Grand Prix, where Russell had asked to pit for slicks, been refused, and run wide. He was twentieth in the championship.

George Russell driving the Williams FW42 during practice for the 2019 Italian Grand Prix Williams FW42 · Italy, 2019 Photo: George Russell, Williams FW42 — 2019 Italian Grand Prix by Eustace Bagge / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized) · licence
Chapter 02

Sakhir

Lewis Hamilton tested positive for COVID-19 and Russell was moved into the Mercedes for one race. He narrowly missed pole, passed Valtteri Bottas at the first corner and led most of the afternoon. Then a radio failure had the pit crew fit Bottas's front tyres to his car, costing him two stops; he passed Bottas again, recovered to second, and was closing on Sergio Pérez when a puncture dropped him to ninth with ten laps left. Two points for the finish and one for the fastest lap were his entire 2020 season.

George Russell driving the Mercedes W16 during qualifying for the 2025 Italian Grand Prix Mercedes W16 · Italy, 2025 Photo: George Russell, Mercedes W16 — 2025 Italian Grand Prix by Eustace Bagge / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (cropped and resized) · licence
Chapter 03

Interlagos, and the Lead

Mercedes replaced Bottas with him for 2022, the season a regulations change ended the team's dominance. He took his first pole in Hungary and, at Interlagos in November, won both the sprint and the Grand Prix, out-scoring Lewis Hamilton across the year. He has led the team since Hamilton left, and at the 2026 season opener in Australia he took pole by three tenths, won the race, and led the World Championship for the first time.

George Russell exiting the final chicane in the Mercedes W17 at Suzuka during the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix Mercedes W17 · Suzuka, 2026 Photo: George Russell, Mercedes W17 — 2026 Japanese Grand Prix by Martin Lee from London, UK / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized) · licence
Career Timeline

George Russell Career Timeline: 1998–Present

Born in King's Lynn

George William Russell is born on 15 February in King's Lynn, Norfolk.

BRDC Formula 4 Champion

Wins the title in his first season of car racing and takes the Autosport BRDC Award.

GP3 Champion

Wins the GP3 Series and joins the Mercedes junior driver programme.

Formula 2 Champion

Takes the Formula 2 title at the first attempt, ahead of Lando Norris and Alexander Albon.

Formula 1 Debut

Debuts for Williams in Australia and out-qualifies Robert Kubica at all twenty-one races.

Sakhir

Stands in for Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, leads most of the race and finishes ninth with the fastest lap.

First Podium

Second at a rain-shortened Belgian Grand Prix, Williams' first podium in four years.

Mercedes, and a First Win

Replaces Valtteri Bottas, takes pole in Hungary and wins the São Paulo Grand Prix.

Team Leader

Two wins and four poles alongside Lewis Hamilton's final Mercedes season.

Career-Best Points

Nine podiums and 319 points for fourth overall, his highest season total.

Championship Leader

Wins the opening race in Australia and leads the standings for the first time.

By the Numbers

George Russell F1 Career Record, Season by Season

George Russell season-by-season record: team, wins, poles, podiums, points and final standing.
SeasonTeam Wins Poles Podiums Points Pos.
2019 Williams 0 0 0 0 20
2020 Williams · Mercedes 0 0 0 3 18
2021 Williams 0 0 1 16 15
2022 Mercedes 1 1 8 275 4
2023 Mercedes 0 0 2 175 8
2024 Mercedes 2 4 4 245 6
2025 Mercedes 2 2 9 319 4
2026 Mercedes 2 4 5 160 3

Career totals: 7 wins · 11 pole positions · 29 podiums · 11 fastest laps · 1,193 points from 163 Grand Prix starts. The 2020 row combines sixteen races for Williams with the one he drove for Mercedes at Sakhir, where he took the fastest lap; all three of his points that season came from that single race. Formula1.com lists twelve pole positions rather than eleven, counting sprint qualifying; the figure here is Grand Prix poles only, which is what the season table sums to. The 2026 season is still in progress; figures verified 14 August 2026.

George Russell in his own words

In His Own Words
If in doubt, go flat out.
George Russell · his motto, quoted on his official Formula 1 profile
Frequently Asked

George Russell: Frequently Asked Questions

How many races has George Russell won?

Seven Grands Prix from 163 starts, along with eleven pole positions, 29 podium finishes and eleven fastest laps. His first win came at the 2022 São Paulo Grand Prix and his most recent at the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix.

What happened at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix?

Russell replaced Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes for one race after Hamilton tested positive for COVID-19. He led most of it, then lost the win to a pit-stop error in which Valtteri Bottas's tyres were fitted to his car, and a late puncture. He finished ninth with the fastest lap.

Which teams has George Russell driven for?

Two. Williams from 2019 to 2021, plus one race for Mercedes as a substitute in 2020, and Mercedes full time from 2022 onwards.

When did George Russell get his first podium?

At the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix, where he qualified second and the race was called off after two laps behind the safety car. It was the only podium Williams scored between 2017 and 2025.

How many championships has George Russell won?

None in Formula 1. He has won three junior titles: BRDC Formula 4 in 2014, the GP3 Series in 2017 and Formula 2 in 2018, the last at the first attempt.

What is George Russell's best championship finish?

Third, in the 2026 season, which is still in progress. He had finished fourth in both 2022 and 2025, the latter with a career-best 319 points.

Why did George Russell replace Valtteri Bottas?

Mercedes had signed Russell to their junior programme in 2017 and placed him at Williams to gain experience. They promoted him alongside Lewis Hamilton for 2022, with Bottas moving to Alfa Romeo.

What did George Russell win before Formula 1?

The BRDC Formula 4 championship in 2014, the GP3 Series in 2017 and the FIA Formula 2 Championship in 2018. He also took the Autosport BRDC Award in 2014.

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References

Sources & Further Reading

Every statistic on this page is drawn from the following records.

  1. George Russell — official driver profile · Formula1.com (official)
  2. George Russell — season-by-season statistics · StatsF1
  3. George Russell driver database · Motor Sport Magazine
  4. Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team · Mercedes-AMG F1 (official)
  5. georgerussell63.com — official site · Official
  6. George Russell · Wikipedia
  7. George Russell (Q17319645) · Wikidata entity record

How this page is made

Rider profiles are compiled from official series records and cross-checked against independent statistical databases before publication.

Commercial disclosure. This page links to merchandise sold by KozmozInspire. Products are fan-made tributes inspired by motorsport history and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or licensed from the rider, their estate, or any team.

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