George Russell reveals 'envious' growth over Lando Norris title win

George Russell has highlighted his delight in seeing Lando Norris win the F1 title in Abu Dhabi, insisting a younger version of himself would have been envious of his compatriot's success.

Lando Norris clinched a maiden F1 title by two points over Max Verstappen, despite a staggering fightback from the Red Bull driver in his bid to secure a fifth consecutive crown.

Russell and Norris, who raced each other in the junior categories, which included a battle for the F2 title in 2018 that was won by the former, both made their F1 debuts the following year.

Yet it is Norris who has emerged as the first of the two of them to claim F1 glory. Following that victory, Russell has insisted there is no jealousy or envy involved.

“I'm really happy for him,” Russell told the media, including RacingNews365.

“Maybe when I was a bit younger and not as mature, you'd be envious of a rival and fellow countryman to win.

“But honestly, the older we get, you recognise how difficult it is to sustain a certain level in this sport.”

Both Russell and Norris have risen to team leaders at Mercedes and McLaren, respectively, several years on from their rookie campaigns.

McLaren was first to offer Norris a car capable of winning a title, whilst Mercedes has struggled for form over the last few seasons.

Russell highlighted the high stakes involved when it comes to being granted an opportunity to compete for a title, as he commended Norris for how he navigated the title pressure.

“We never know when our opportunity is going to come,” he said. “I'm sure he wasn't aware his chance was going to be this year.

“His second half of the year, especially, he drove really incredibly, so I'm happy for him. He deserved it.”