“I think he’s going to be tapping Lewis on the shoulder, I really do,” McCarthy told Formula1News.co.uk
“And the other thing is, is that, you know, if Lewis has developed any chinks in his armour, because he does feel a little bit low, then George will be prying those open, you know, he’s going to be on the attack.”
It will undoubtedly be an enormous challenge for the young Brit, but McCarthy is confident Russell can make a real impact.
“Your absolute best scenario, as a racing driver, is to join a team, where you’ve got an absolutely brilliant, established star,” the 60-year-old explained.
“And then your job is to beat him, because suddenly, if you’ve just jumped in, and you’re beating the guy that holds pretty much every record going, then you’re looked at as being brilliant.