George Russell says Williams must try and overhaul Haas and Alfa Romeo in this year’s Formula 1 championship, in a bid to move off the back of the field.
Williams improved its overall performance in 2020, making Q2 on nine occasions, but missed out on a point for the first time in its distinguished history.
Williams classified last for a third successive season while Alfa Romeo and Haas – on eight and three points respectively – replicated their 2019 positions by finishing eighth and ninth in the standings.
However Williams made gains through the course of the 2020 campaign and beat the lead Haas driver to the finish at five of the closing six rounds.
“I’m confident we can beat Haas next year,” said Russell, speaking in December.
“I think we’ll be on a par with Alfa Romeo but I’d like to think we can jump them as well if you look at the progress we’ve been making.
“We want to be scoring points next year, we’re not suddenly going to be in the midfield fight because of the regulation stability.
“But definitely we have to be aiming to beat Haas and Alfa Romeo.”
Russell’s sole Formula 1 points came during his one-off appearance with Mercedes in Sakhir, in place of Lewis Hamilton, with his best finish in 37 starts for Williams being 11th position.
Russell emphasised that he has to remain level-headed during his 2021 campaign with Williams off the back of his brief taste of front-running machinery at Mercedes.
“I think it’s continuing the form, continuing the positive attitude internally with the team and externally not getting frustrated with the poor performance here, and continue to try and push Williams further forward,” he said.
“Mercedes believe in me. They have given me the opportunity, they’ve always had my back, now it’s sort of my duty that I stay on the straight and narrow almost, and that I don’t… suddenly change over the course of next year.”
