George Russell hailed a “complete driver” in Max Verstappen F1 comparison

British racing driver Jamie Chadwick believes George Russell is evolving into a “complete driver” in F1 - drawing comparisons with reigning world champion Max Verstappen.

Russell dominated last weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix from pole position to secure his second victory of the year.

The Mercedes driver has gone from strength to strength this season.

Since Lewis Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari, Russell has stepped up as Mercedes’ team leader, demonstrating incredible speed and consistency.

There’s a fair argument to make that Russell has been the standout performer this year alongside Verstappen.

Speaking on the Sky F1 Podcast, Chadwick highlighted Russell’s performances “under pressure” as he fights for a new Mercedes deal.

“I think we talk a lot about how Max is the complete driver, but I do think that George is coming into that category,” Chadwick said.

“There’s the category of racing drivers who have got the ability to qualify, race wheel-to-wheel, not crash, perform under pressure, and there are very few of them at the moment.

“What is impressive now is that he can perform under pressure. He is under a lot of pressure. He always is, but we are constantly asking about his contract, what position he is in there.

“He was also ill last weekend in Baku, and he has to go out and perform on the line. I think now he is able to develop into this driver that can kind of do it all.”

Russell has “learned a lot”

Russell had to bide his time before getting his chance at Mercedes.

He spent three years at Williams in uncompetitive machinery before earning promotion alongside Hamilton.

Unfortunately for Russell, his Mercedes opportunity coincided with the team’s downturn in form in 2022.

Still, Russell’s reputation has only improved over the years, particularly as he beat Hamilton in 2024.

Chadwick, who is a close friend of Russell, explained his relentless work ethic and “intensity” to ensure he’s ready to win a world title in F1.

“I cannot express how impressive George is,” Chadwick explained. “I spend a lot of time with him and every year he becomes more and more impressive. He’s evolving, maturing, developing and with that becoming so much more aware of what he needs to work on and how he works on it.

“He’s got this intensity around racing because it’s his life and everything he wants is to win a world championship. This leads to this hard-working nature. It’s not just in the car. It’s outside the car.

“Everything that he does now is very much centred around making sure he can be in the best position possible to win races and I think as a human being, he’s evolved a lot. He’s learned a lot.

“He’s impressive like I say. You see it from within and so when he gets results, as a friend, and seeing him flourish, you take your hat off to him because you can see exactly where it stems from and where he’s able to achieve that from.”