George Russell upset with Claire Williams for not allowing to join Mercedes

Mercedes F1 driver George Russell made his debut for the Williams Racing team in the 2019 season as the reigning F2 champion. Alex Albon and Lando Norris were the other two drivers who came from the F2 championship, and all had contracts. 

Alex Albon was promoted to Red Bull very early, and Lando Norris became the McLaren driver the same year. Red Bull and McLaren are bigger teams compared to Williams Racing. George Russell wanted to move to Mercedes, but there were already Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas driving for them.

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Claire didn't allow George Russell

Before the 2021 season, George was offered a seat at the Mercedes F1 team by Toto Wolff. But Williams team principal and owner Claire Williams didn't allow him to go to Mercedes as she felt the package that Mercedes offered was too low for an A-list driver like Russell’s.

The british driver, after seeing his two friends getting promoted very soon, was really upset with Claire and the former Williams owner gave her an explanation. She said, “George wanted to go to Mercedes in that last couple of years, and I couldn't let him go, and I hated that. It makes me upset to think about it. I needed him, I felt, more than Mercedes, and he was in contract. If I let him go, what message would that have sent? What would that have done to my team if I'd have let George go?”

Claire felt George was one of the greatest things Williams ever had, and letting him go was impossible for him, as the offer Mercedes gave to Williams wasnt enough. But Russell was upset with Claire, and she wanted to keep the team ahead of everything.

She remembered what she said to George: “You will always be grateful for this one day because it will build resilience in you, it will build strength.” Claire Williams is now out of the F1 team ownership. She sold the team to Dorilton Capital, and the Williams family's ownership ended after the 2020 season. 

Frank Williams, the father of Claire, founded the Williams Racing team in 1977, and it is one of the historic teams in Formula 1. Many multiple world champions like Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna raced for them in the past. Now they are finding their roots back as Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon, and team principal James Vowles are doing a wonderful job in leading the team in the 2025 F1 season. 

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