Former deputy team principal of Williams, Claire Williams, has opened up on the decision behind blocking George Russell from moving to Mercedes.
Williams Racing was founded by Claire’s father, Frank Williams, in 1977. Claire took over in 2013 and led the team for eight seasons before selling it at the end of 2020. Russell joined the team in 2019 for his rookie Formula 1 season and stayed until the end of 2021 before moving to Mercedes.
While speaking to Tom Clarkson on the F1 Beyond The Grid podcast, Williams shared some insight into Russell’s time at the Grove-based outfit. She explained:
“George really wanted to go to Mercedes, and he was clearly upset. As much as I would have loved to have made George’s dreams come true, I couldn’t. That was one of the hardest parts of being team principal for me. I’ve watched that start of this season, George is on a different level, and this is what I think you see with drivers. They tip into that zone of just absolute superstardom. And George is there now.”
The Brackley outfit showed their interest in signing Russell for the 2021 season while he was still in contract with Williams. The British driver stepped in for seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton for the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix in Bahrain when the latter tested positive for COVID-19. Russell narrowly missed securing pole position and was on track to fight for his first Formula 1 victory during the race when a puncture forced him to pit, leaving him to finish in ninth.
“George was incredibly important to me. But you know, when you go into a negotiation with a team like Mercedes and they’re not offering you what they should be for your ace, who is an A star driver, not just your A star driver, then why would you just let him go,” Williams continued.
“What kind of team principal would I have been if I’d have just let George go cause Mercedes said, ‘We want George now.’ That’s not how it works, is it. A driver’s midway through contract, and yet another team, the big brother comes along. No, sorry, he’s my driver.”
Claire Williams, Former Williams deputy team principal, arrives in the Paddock
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Expanding on how the conversation with Russell went at that time, Williams added:
“George really wanted to go to Mercedes, and he was clearly upset. And it was really difficult. It was very hard to stand my ground because if someone comes to me and they’re upset and it’s because of me—because I’m a blocker or whatever I’m doing—it’s really hard, you know?
“But I had to put my team first. You know, it wasn’t just about… it couldn’t just be about George. As much as I would have loved to have made George’s dreams come true, I couldn’t at the time.
“And that was—that was one of the hardest parts of being a team principal for me. And goes against… you know, I’m a people pleaser as a person, that’s my personality. I want to make people’s—you know, help people and make their lives better and do right by people. And I wasn’t able to do that with George. And I will forever hate—not hate myself for that—but it doesn’t feel good. But I had to do that for my team.”
Russell ultimately signed for Mercedes in 2022. He secured his maiden F1 race win at the Brazilian Grand Prix the same year.
The 27-year-old driver is now partnered with Italian rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli, and the pair have secured the team 141 points so far this season. Mercedes is currently second in the constructors’ standings behind McLaren with 246 points.
