Russell, now in his second season with Mercedes, signed a new deal until the end of 2025 to remain alongside seven-time champio💟n Lewis Hamilton.

With Max Verstappen o♎n course for a third straight title and showing no sign of slowing down, Russell has l𒐪earned lessons from the past.

“Max spent four years at Red Bull before h🧜e got his chance of truly fighting for a championship,” Russell told . 

“And the same with Schumacher, when he🗹 went to Ferrari it was four years before he won a championship. 

“Whereas we all look at him as the guy who was at Ferrari, dominant, won everything, y꧃ou know, it took four or five years before he got that success there.”

Schumacher joined Ferrari in 1996 as a two-timꦗe champion with Benetton, but spent four years building towards his go🅘lden period.

From 2000 he embar🌳ked on a sensational five-year run of winning the championship every season.

Russell must accept driving alongside the feted Hamilton, and therefore not being an undisputed 🍃No1 driver in his team, for the next two-and-a-half years.

Although Mercedes made that dynamic work when Nico Rosberg෴ was Hamilton’s teammate, as they both won titles.

Russell denied ever cꦉontemplating leaving♌ Mercedes before penning his new deal.

"We're on this journey a🌳nd it's sort of like we're bound to one another,” said ys Russell. 

“You're like a marౠried couple, you’re in this to𓆉gether.

“I think if you're with Mercedes or Red Bull, you can be very confident that if one isn't winning, the other one's going to be right there chasing an𒈔d I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

“Mercedes were the ones who believed in me. They're th✱e ones who supported me. 

“And I feel almost like a duty to return their faith in me, with loyalty, with delivering my best and ultimately delivering a championship with them: that ⛎is my dream and my goal.”