George Russell says Formula 1 needs the “drastic change” away from the current two-team domination that will hopefully occur from 2022.
Up until the mid-part of 2020, only three teams (Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari) had won races during the hybrid era that began in 2014, that number has since risen to six after AlphaTauri, Racing Point and Alpine all won in the last year.
Even so, Russell, who has sat near the back of the grid throughout his F1 career at Williams, laments how those victories for Pierre Gasly, Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon respectively all came due to unusual circumstances
“Of course I miss the champagne. Since I was eight, it’s only been about one thing in my life – victories, take pole and win,” he told Dutch outlet NOS on his lack of success after stepping up as F2 champion in 2019.
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“I’ve done everything I can to make it to Formula 1 and that dream has come true, but victories are impossible at the moment.
“Only four drivers can now win on their own in Formula 1: [Lewis] Hamilton, [Max] Verstappen, [Valtteri] Bottas and Perez.
“If you’re not in a Mercedes or Red Bull you have no chance, even if you’re the best driver. In my current car, I finish around 10th place after a flawless, top race.
“Nevertheless, I’m happy and proud. It’s a privilege to be one of the 20 drivers in this sport.”
Ironically, Russell could be about to get called up to the most dominant team in F1 history at Mercedes just as all-new cars are introduced next season.
Even so, he still welcomes the prospect of much greater competition on a more regular basis for the top three places.
“That’s the purpose of the 2022 regulations. It will be a drastic change and the sport needs it,” he said.
“The rear division now loses two seconds per lap, that gap has to decrease. It would be nice if it became half a second.
“You will always have rich top teams, but the aim is for even the slowest car to be fast enough for a podium finish.
“I’m really looking forward to 2022. Formula 1 management know very well which way it should go.
“The cars will be slightly slower, but we will have a lot more overtaking manoeuvres and duels. Everything is geared towards that. Drivers should make the difference, not their cars.”
