George Russell eager to learn from Lewis Hamilton ahead of debut F1 season with ROKiT Williams Racing

As he gears up for his first season in Formula One, ROKiT Williams Racing driver George Russell knows that following the example of world champion Lewis Hamilton can only have a positive effect on his career.

The 20-year-old has enjoyed the privilege of watching Hamilton in action after becoming a member of the Mercedes young driver programme, testing for the team and Force India in 2017.

Hamilton became the first Briton to win five world titles after beating Sebastian Vettel to the drivers' championship, moving level with Juan Manuel Fangio in the all-time standings and now he is just two titles away from equalling Michael Schumacher's record haul.

Now going into his rookie season with Williams after winning the FIA Formula 2 Championship, Russell has aspirations of his own in 2019.

But the highly-rated prospect from Kings Lynn says the model example that the 33-year-old has provided will put him in good stead as he attempts to forge his career in the sport.

“The two things that I can learn [from Hamilton] is that one, he's solely relied on his speed and talent to achieve the results he does," Russell told Standard Sport. "He really works hard at everything when he gets on the track to build the team around him.

"Secondly, I think he's found that perfect balance of his time away from the track and what he does with his time to enjoy himself. To get the most out of it, you have to enjoy what you do and love what you do. I think he's really found that perfect balance.”

Like Hamilton, Russell has tasted success in his career. The youngster caught the eye last season while driving with the ART Grand Prix team in F2, fighting off competition from fellow F1 rookies Lando Norris and Alexander Albon to win his second world title, having won the GP3 Series in 2017.

Climbing into the Williams hot seat would be a daunting prospect for many, with former drivers including Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve and Valtteri Bottas. Even his team-mate for the new season, Robert Kubica, is a respected member of the paddock. But Russell isn't fazed; rather, he sees it as the next step in his quest to become a household name in the world of F1.

“For every young racing driver, you want to make it in F1 and you don't quite realise how difficult that is to make it to that level," he said.

"When I was about 10 years old I just thought 'I'll go out, win races, get into Formula 1 and I'll be world champion' and I thought it was that simple. It was only when I was about 15, 16, 17 that I realised this isn't as easy as I once thought it was.

"It's been a lifelong dream to make it in Formula One but it all starts again now. I've made it this far but I don't want to become complacent and take it for granted. This is the top of the sport and I've got to give it everything to stay here and have a successful career."

Having experienced the feeling of winning on a regular basis in F2, Russell may have to wait before stepping up to the podium again with Williams. After spending years at the top of the sport throughout the 1980s, the British-based team suffered one of their worst-ever campaigns in 2018, finishing rock bottom of the constructors' standings and scoring just seven points.

A new partnership with telecom company ROKiT and a fresh livery gave the team a reason to feel optimistic ahead of the 2019 season, but delays over finishing their new car has left them racing against time to gather crucial data from testing in Barcelona. While other teams have already put in several hundred laps, Williams were forced to the miss the first two days of action.

But Russell plans to use his experience in F2 to help him integrate into life in F1, even in spite of their setback in getting the car ready.

“My personal targets will be to try and really build the team up to push us to get back to where Williams is supposed to be," he added.

"I don't think either myself or Robert [Kubica] are interested in fighting for 19th position. We want to work together to push the team forward and make the most of the team when off the track, and then my on-track performances will show after.”

On the back of that dominant campaign where he won seven races in F2, Russell is focusing on the big picture with Williams. But after such an enticing battle with Norris last year, it's difficult not to get excited about two British talents going wheel-to-wheel at 200mph.

Russell admits he is looking forward to competing with the McLaren rookie again - just as long as it's near the business end of the grid.

“Obviously it depends how both teams are going to be performing," he said. "But Lando's a great driver and I think it would be nice to continue the battle. For the fans and the media, I think it would be pretty good but if we are, let's just hope it's further up the grid.”

Rarely do racers of such a tender age possess such a grounded personality, but Russell appears to be mature beyond his years. It's clear to see why team principal Paddy Lowe and CEO Claire Williams were eager to bring him on board. They have a driver who maintains a high level of confidence and self-belief, with the results and ability to back it up, but not one hint of arrogance.

That is what helped mould the likes of Hamilton and Fernando Alonso into the stars of today; only time will tell if Russell can follow in their footsteps.