George Russell signs for Mercedes: British driver to join Lewis Hamilton for 2022 Formula 1 season

George Russell confirmed as Lewis Hamilton’s 2022 team-mate as he joins Mercedes from Williams; Russell, 23, has been a Mercedes junior driver since 2017 and finally gets his F1 chance after three seasons in the sport

George Russell will join Mercedes as Lewis Hamilton’s next team-mate, with the world champions confirming their all-British 2022 driver line-up.

Earning his chance with the team who first signed him as a junior driver before supporting his three brilliant seasons in F1 with Williams, Russell, 23, will be Hamilton’s sixth – and youngest – team-mate in the sport.

He replaces Valtteri Bottas, who is moving to Alfa Romeo after five seasons with Mercedes.

Russell’s signing follows tough deliberation from Mercedes as they weighed the known quantity of Bottas – who has challenged but not beaten seven-time champion Hamilton over a season – versus their rising F1 star.

In the end they opted for the man who as well as shining down the grid at Williams, starred in his one-off appearance in the Mercedes when filling in for Hamilton last December in Bahrain.

Jenson Button sat down with George Russell to reflect on his first F1 podium and look ahead to what the future might hold for the Williams driver

It results in F1’s first all-British driver line-up since Hamilton partnered Jenson Button at McLaren before joining Mercedes in 2013.

Since then, Hamilton’s team-mates have been Nico Rosberg, who he had an increasingly fierce rivalry with before the German left the team after his title win in 2016, and Bottas, who restored harmony at Mercedes and who Hamilton recently hailed as his “best team-mate” in the sport.

Russell has spoken glowingly about joining Hamilton, his idol and the most successful driver in F1 history.

More to follow…