Force India is hoping to develop an Ocon-style relationship with GP3 champion George Russell by offering him the reserve driver role for 2018 after being impressed by the young Briton in his first outing with the Silverstone outfit last weekend in Brazil.
The Mercedes junior drove in Practice 1 alongside Esteban Ocon at Interlagos, finishing within half a second of the Frenchman in just his second time in an F1 car after driving for the world champion’s in Hungary back in August.
Seeing the potential in the 19-year-old both in his ability and in being a good stepping stone for Russell to enter F1, Deputy Team Principal Bob Fernley wants that commitment to begin as a third driver next season.
“I don’t see any reason why [he can’t],” he said to Motorsport.com. “The main thing is to make sure the availability is there longer term. It’s not a short-term thing.
“It’s a win-win for Mercedes and ourselves, the same thing happened with Esteban. They happen to have a driver that is under contract and it fits in with our programme and it fits in with theirs. That is not always the case.
“We’ve been very lucky with both Esteban and now possibly George, his performance at the weekend was excellent, he settled in very nicely,” Fernley added. “We can learn quite a bit from that [running] and it’s not just that but the simulator programmes as well.
“What he does in the simulator translates onto the track and we can make the comparisons across the board. He hasn’t spent a huge amount of time in the simulator, but enough for us to be able to get a good picture of him.”
With that good first impression, however, comes additional expectation ahead of is next appearance for Force India in Practice again in a week’s time at Yas Marina.
“He had never been to the track in Brazil and never driven the car before but we’re now taking him to Abu Dhabi where he’s done both, and that will be an interesting assessment for him,” Fernley claimed.
“George is a very confident young man, self-assured, confident, charming, a bit Esteban like in many ways.”
Russell is responding to his growing stature and reputation too, proclaiming himself ready to make the jump straight into a race seat in F1.
“I’ve done a lot of F1 stuff with Mercedes, I’ve done a lot of simulator work with them. I feel I’ve been prepared well, and I won the GP3 championship this year,” he stated.
“If you look at the facts the only options are Williams or Sauber [with seats available], but we’ll see. One reason I really wanted to do this testing at the end of the year with Force India is that as we’ve seen in F1, anything can happen, and I want to be prepared.
“Let’s say in January, if something happens, I can say I’m the guy to jump in, and I’m the guy ready to make the step.”
