The hardest job in sports is being cast as the sidekick. Racing drivers need to have the belief that they’re the best in the world otherwise they wouldn’t be able to go out on track and do what they do. That belief is tested at times but nothing like when you’re paired up with a legend of the sport.

For George Russell and Sergio Perez the challenge is to prove yourself against the most successful driver in history and arguably the fastest ever.

Drivers spend their entire life building up to the moment when they are ready to prove themselves. Perez spent the best part of ten years trying to recover from a disastrous season alongside Hamilton at McLaren in 2013. At the time he was seen as an ‘up and coming’ talent but it wasn’t until 2020 that he finally won a race. The 32 year old Mexican will start his second season with the Red Bull Racing team knowing that he’s a man under pressure.

With a top team, you always race while looking over your shoulder for the next challenger. Last year, one win and five podiums netted Perez fourth in the championship standings but when your teammate wins the World Championship it’s clear that more is expected of Perez.

Slotting in at Red Bull Racing alongside Max Verstappen is a tough gig for any driver. The Dutch star has cycled through teammates since joining the F1 grid with Red Bull never showing much patience for their support driver. When you have Verstappen in your car, the second seat can become an afterthought.

Like Perez, Russell had to wait for his big opportunity. Joining Mercedes means he now has everything he’s ever wanted in Formula 1 but he also has Lewis Hamilton as his teammate.

The duo will form a very potent line-up and Russell’s speed won’t be a question mark given his performances in recent years for the un-fancied Williams team. Russell’s promotion to the factory squad has been on the cards for years but now he has to deliver what’s expected of him.

How can Russell deal with the relentlessness of Hamilton? No one has won more in F1 than Hamilton and his consistency is arguably the trump card in his deck. Russell is the future but surviving the present will be his biggest test. Hamilton has ground down teammates in the past and left them as a shell.

Can Russell maintain his upward trajectory while paired with Hamilton?

Having made his Formula 1 debut in 2019 he joined Williams as a serial champion in the feeder classes. The recently turned 24 year old has proven his worth but never had the machinery to prove just how good he is. He’ll get that chance in 2022 with Mercedes and there’ll be no room for excuses this season!

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