Lewis Hamilton, seven-time Formula One world champion, is one of the most ruthless drivers to ever exist in the sport. His passion and hunger to win often land him at crossroads with his own teammates. The Mercedes driver never shies away from a fight and has a record of beating his own teammates at Mercedes on a constant basis for many years.
However, things changed in 2022, wherein Lewis Hamilton, for the first time in several years, was beaten by his own teammate and fellow British native, George Russell. While the 38-year-old failed to record even a single win in the whole season, Russell attained his first and team’s only win of the 2022 season. Meanwhile, tables have turned once again this season as Hamilton has managed to regain his dominance. While this is positive news for Mercedes, George Russell might not be too pleased.
“George Russell Must Not Get Ahead Of Himself After Defeating Lewis Hamilton,” Advises Former F1 Boss
Lewis Hamilton looked lost ever since he lost the driver’s championship in 2021. Meanwhile, his teammate, George Russell, took advantage of the Briton’s fall. He upped his game to prove why he deserves to be the future of Mercedes. However, Russell’s happiness was short-lived as Hamilton regained his rhythm after a long while. After initially struggling to keep up with Russell, Hamilton beat the former in every race held after Monaco GP, wherein the Silver Arrows introduced their first upgrade. While Mercedes rejoice in Hamilton’s resurgence, a former F1 team boss has issued a word of caution for George Russell.
Eddie Jordan said that Lewis Hamilton had upped his game and found his old mojo back. While George Russell is indeed a potential future world champion, he should stay a little cautious of Hamilton. Jordan says when in form, Hamilton is a formidable opponent, capable of beating you in every race. Hence, just because Russell has beaten Lewis in a few races, he should not think much ahead of himself. While the 38-year-old is not undefeatable, to beat him while he is in his zone, you will require intense resilience and hard work. Hence, as Hamilton regains his form, it puts Russell in a position where he must consistently outperform one of the sport’s all-time greats to prove his worth and secure a long-term future with the team.
Damon Hill Credits Hamilton For Proving Mercedes Wrong!
After a disastrous race weekend in Bahrain this year, Lewis Hamilton claimed that he was not happy with Mercedes’ zeroed concept. The Briton went on to admit that he strongly opposed the idea, but the team did not pay any heed. It turns out Hamilton was right after all. After humiliating results at the start of the season, Mercedes introduced an upgrade and eliminated the Zeropod concept. Since then, the team has been thriving, and the British driver has not finished below P4.
Meanwhile, former F1 world champion, Damon Hill, has credited Lewis Hamilton for the change. He said that Hamilton forced Mercedes to accept their mistake and directed them in the right direction. Hill also claimed that with this new concept, Mercedes could even build a car capable of winning a championship next year. Overall, Damon Hill left highly impressed with Hamilton’s resilience to force Mercedes to make a change.