Russell frustrated he's not able to fight Verstappen & Leclerc in F1

George Russell admits there’s an "element of frustration" that he is unable to fight the likes of Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc at the front of the Formula 1 grid.

Having made his debut for Williams in 2019 following his Formula 2 title triumph, Russell has failed to score a single point.

His main rivals for the F2 title - Lando Norris and Alexander Albon - have picked up their maiden F1 podiums in 2020, while Verstappen and Leclerc have claimed multiple victories since Russell has made his F1 debut.

While Russell feels frustrated that he isn’t able to fight his fellow junior rivals, the Mercedes junior is hopeful the new 2022 F1 regulations put the drivers, rather than the cars, as the most important factor when it comes to performance.

"Obviously as a driver, you want to prove what you can do on even and fair grounds," Russell said ahead of this weekend’s Turkish Grand Prix. "Any sport, if you’re racing the Tour de France and one guy has a superior bike or bike that has an electric motor or something that can sail off, you might be the best cyclist in the world but you will not be able to compete with them.

"There is definitely an element of frustration, but ultimately that is what part of F1 is, there is always been fast and slow cars. 2021, unfortunately, will be more of the same, but everybody hopes from 2022 with the new financial and technical regulations it will bring the whole field closer together. And hopefully, it puts the driver literally in the driving seat to make or break the weekend. I think everybody is looking forward to that."

With Russell remaining with Williams for a third consecutive year in 2021, the Briton says the team will still look to make gains next season despite the substantial regulation changes in 2022.

"We have not lost sight of 2020 yet, or 2021 either," Russell added. "We are continuing to bring test items to the car to try to improve at this year and into next year. With the new owners it is really exciting, with more finance behind us to be able to focus into the future for 2022 and beyond but also keep a good eye on 2021 to continue to progress the car. 

"That is exciting for us and hopefully we can make a step to cement our place ahead of Haas and Alfa and try to latch onto the back of the midfield."