Formula 1: 3 new drivers who could end up driving in 2019
By Asher Fair
George Russell
George Russell, 20, is a Mercedes junior driver who will more than likely end up driving for one Formula 1 team or another in the very near future. It seems to be a matter of “when” and not “if”, and it seems to be a matter of “which team”.
Russell is the current Formula 2 points leader. He is in his first season in the sport, and he drives for ART Grand Prix. He has earned four victories and seven podium finished through the first 14 races of the season, and his gap over second place in the championship standings is sizable at 37 points (170 to 133) with 10 races remaining on the schedule.
Russell won last season’s GP3 Series championship with four victories and seven podium finishes in 15 races, and he did so while also serving as a test driver for Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport and Sahara Force India in Formula 1.
Prior to the 2017 season, Russell competed in BRDC Formula 4 for one season and then European Formula 3 for two seasons. He won the 2014 BRDC Formula 4 championship after earning five victories and finishing on the podium 11 times in 24 races.
After earning one victory and finishing on the podium three times in 33 races en route to a sixth place finish in the championship standings in the 2015 European Formula 3 season, he finished in third in the standings in the 2016 season after earning two victories and finishing on the podium 10 times in 30 races.