F1 News: Russell and Latifi to stay at Williams for 2021 | GRR
British youngster George Russell and Canadian Nicholas Latifi will remain with Williams F1 in 2021. More news as we get it...
Russell, who out-qualified his team-mate Robert Kubica at every round of the 2019 season and is considered by many to be an incredibly promising and exciting young talent, has only today confirmed he will remain with Williams in 2021.
When asked if he thought he might have bagged a drive with Mercedes by now, Mercedes having worked with Russell as a test and development for several years, he remarked: “It’s literally just been confirmed, that I’ll be staying with Williams for another year, for 2021. That was the deal I signed back in 2018, a three-year deal – that’s where we stand.
“I have no hard feelings towards Mercedes, there’s nothing more they can do. Ultimately, I had a contract with Williams – Claire was very firm in her standpoint that she was not ready to let me go, and I have to respect her decision. I’m still young, I’m still a Mercedes driver, and I’ll be going out there to build off of last year, build off the first few races, and continue to try and show what I can do.”
Latifi, on the other hand, has said previously that his contract is “multi-year” and his future, therefore, is secure. He joined the F1 grid for the first time this year after four years of F1 test driver duties for Renault, Force India (now Racing Point) and Williams, all while competing in Formula 1, finishing as runner-up.