George Russell, the British driver looking to secure Mercedes its first Championship since 2021.
George Russell's Early Career
George Russell was born in King's Lynn, in the eastern part of England, on February 15, 1998.
Russell began karting at the age of eight, and enjoyed dominant success in the youth racing circuit.
Russell won a karting championship in four straight years (2009-2012), and graduated to Formula 4 in 2014. The now 28-year-old won the BRDC Formula 4 Championship in his debut season, and won the Silverstone Autosport BRDC Award.
After one season in Formula 4, Russell moved up to Formula 3 where he spent two seasons (2015-16). Russell did not win in F3, but his driving skills caught the eye of Mercedes, and he joined their GP3 Series Junior Team.
Russell won the GP3 title his first year, and graduated to FIA Formula 2 the following year (2018), and won the championship in that competition on his first attempt as well.
Russell was successful at almost every level, and caught the attention of teams in F1.
George Russell's F1 Career
George Russell began his F1 career in 2019 with Williams Racing at 21-years-old. His Grand Prix debut came in Australia in the opening race of the 2019 season.
Russell finished his first season with Williams in 16th place, but he build a reputation of having raw speed.
Russell's breakthrough came in 2020 when he was a substitute for Mercedes and F1 legend, Lewis Hamilton at the Sakhir Grand Prix.
The Brit qualified just 0.026 seconds behind Valterri Bottas, and led for most of the race before a pitting error and late puncture saw him drop to 9th. Although he fell the ninth, it was Russell's first career F1 points, and he showed that in the right car he is one of the fastest drivers in the world.
Russell earned his first Podium in 2021 at the Belgian Grand Prix, finishing second.
George Russell raced primarily for Williams until the end of 2021, and rejoined Mercedes full-time in 2022, replacing Bottas and partnering with Hamilton.
In the first year with Mercedes, Russell won his first race at the 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil near the end of the season.
Russell has took over the first seat at Mercedes in 2025, and is now the favorite to win his first Drivers' Championship in 2026.
Career Stats
World Championships: 0
Grand Prix Wins: 6
Podiums: 26
Pole Positions: 8
Grand Prix Entered: 154
Career Points: 1084
*Stats as of March 19, 2026
Contract and Net Worth
George Russell signed a one-plus-one year deal, featuring performance-related clauses that could automatically extend the contract into 2027.
The contract is reported to be worth $30 million per year which is nearly double what he earned in 2025.
Russell's net worth is estimated to be in the range of $20-40 million due to signing his new contract in October of 2025.
