Williams Racing confirms George Russell for the 2019 F1 season

Williams Racing confirms today that George Russell will drive for the team from the 2019 Formula One World Championship season. The 20-year-old British driver will join the British team after two fantastic seasons in the junior categories, winning the GP3 Series title in 2017 and currently leading the FIA Formula 2 Championship with one more round to go.

Williams Racing and George Russell agreed on a multi-year agreement. Russell will make his Formula One race debut at the 2019 Australian Grand Prix. He will be the first full-time British driver in Williams since Jenson Button in 2000 season with BMW Williams.

Following a successful start to his career in karting, George stepped into single-seater racing in 2014, winning the BRDC Formula 4 Championship at his first attempt as well as becoming the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award winner. He then progressed to the Formula 3 European Championship, spending there two seasons. In 2017, he won the GP3 championship as a rookie and then stepped to the FIA Formula 2 Championship this year. Russell is also serving as Test and Reserve Driver for Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport.

George Russell currently leads in the FIA Formula 2 Championship

George Russell said: “It is a huge honour to join a team of Williams’ prestige and heritage. Formula One has been a life-long dream. From watching the races when I was a child, it feels surreal that I will now be lining up on the grid, alongside drivers whom I have admired for years. I would like to thank Claire and everyone at Williams for their faith in making this decision, as well as Toto and the team at Mercedes for their fantastic support throughout GP3 and Formula 2. I am incredibly excited to start working with everyone at Grove and to take my first steps as a Formula One race driver. I cannot wait for Melbourne next year and to join Williams at the start of what we all believe will be the start of an exciting new journey.”

Claire Williams, Deputy Team Principal, commented: “I am delighted to announce that George Russell will be joining Williams from the 2019 season. We have always tried to promote and develop young talent at Williams, and George fits that ethos perfectly. He is already highly regarded in the paddock and a driver whose career we have been watching for a while. In the time we have spent with him so far, we believe that he will be a great fit for our teamhis commitment, passion and dedication is exactly what we need to drive the positive momentum building at Grove as we focus on the future. We are extremely excited to welcome George and work with him moving forward.”