Russell relives Williams’ 2019 ‘survival or no survival’ mission
Williams remains one of the most successful teams in F1 history with nine constructors' championships and seven drivers' titles to its name
Mercedes driver George Russell has claimed that Williams was “on the verge of bankruptcy” when he made his F1 debut with the team at the 2019 Australian Grand Prix.
And he reckons his first points finish for the team, achieved in Hungary more than two years later, was the difference between “survival and no survival” for the Grove-based outfit.
George Russell: Williams ‘on the verge of bankruptcy’ in 2019
Russell – along with McLaren driver and fellow 2019 debutant Lando Norris – is set to make his 150th F1 start at this weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix, the 22nd round of the F1 2025 season.
The British driver has claimed five grand prix victories since joining Mercedes ahead of the 2022 season after a three-year stint with Williams.
Despite the team’s rich heritage, Williams was in the midst of one of the darkest periods in its history when Russell made his debut with the team at the start of 2019.
Williams finished bottom of that year’s constructors’ standings with Russell’s teammate Robert Kubica scoring the team’s only point of 2019 in a rain-affected race in Germany.
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The team missed the first two days of pre-season testing in 2019 before elements of the FW42 car – including the front suspension, bargeboards ad mirrors – were declared illegal by the FIA, forcing a rapid redesign ahead of the season opener in Australia.
Russell and Kubica lapped more than a second slower than the 18th-placed car in qualifying in Melbourne before finishing two and three laps down respectively on race day.
In a video released by Mercedes to mark his 150th F1 appearance, Russell has shed new light on the difficulties faced by Williams in 2019, claiming the team was “on the verge of bankruptcy” in his debut season.
Reflecting on his debut in Australia, he said: “I still remember that because I was there with all my family and it was like a dream coming true to get to F1.
“There was also a bit of a strange feeling because with us at Williams, at the time we were going through [problems] and the team was on the verge of bankruptcy.
“The car didn’t get delivered in testing on time and we were about one second slower than the next-slowest car.
“I remember getting lapped two times by Lewis [Hamilton] and Valtteri [Bottas].
“But still, it was like living the dream. This is the start. And it still just felt so surreal being there really. Also, Australia as first race is a cool one.”
After a takeover by Dorilton Capital in 2020, Williams enjoyed a steady rate of improvement across Russell’s stint with the team, culminating in the youngster claiming Williams’ first podium finish since 2017 at the rain-affected 2021 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa.
That came just weeks after Russell scored his first points in Williams colours in a wet-dry race in Hungary, where he came away with an emotional eighth-placed finish.
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Russell’s run of four points finishes in five races between Hungary and Russia was crucial to helping the team secure eighth place in the 2021 constructors’ standings after three years at rock bottom.
Russell has claimed that “jobs were on the line” at Williams around the time of that year’s Hungarian Grand Prix, with his result the difference between “survival or no survival.”
He said: “That was a crazy race obviously.
“We – every driver and team – messed up this race by not getting the right tyres on the grid to start with.
“It was one of those where you’re in Hungary, it was pouring down with rain, there was a red flag and it was so wet before, nobody believed it could have dried up.
“And we did the formation lap and everyone’s like: ‘What on earth? The track’s dry.’
“And obviously Lewis started on the inters by himself [on the grid].
“But for me, I think just because of what we’d been through at Williams with the team and their finances.
“I was still a young kid, but seeing people’s jobs on the line, a result like this propelled us from P10 to P8, I think, in the championship, which is massive for the money.
“That was basically survival or no survival, so that felt more than what the result was.”
Williams’ turnaround has continued since Russell’s departure, with former Mercedes strategist James Vowles appointed the third team principal in Williams’ history – following in the footsteps of team founder Sir Frank Williams and Jost Capito – ahead of the 2023 season.
The Grove-based outfit remains on course for its highest finish in the constructors’ championship since 2017, with Williams holding fifth place ahead of the final three races of F1 2025.
Racing Bulls sits 29 points behind Williams in sixth entering the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend.
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