George Russell and Lewis Hamilton had a tough outing in Monaco with their new W14 upgrades. But the enhancements helped build momentum for the two Mercedes drivers. They had even more difficult times with the zero-side pods concept that ruined their last season. The same concept in W14 this season did not help the team either. They are nowhere near the current leader Max Verstappen and even second-positioned Sergio Perez of Red Bull. The RB19 car has helped the Red Bull F1 team to gain utter superiority over the other teams at present.
The Milton Keynes team has won all the races so far. And clearly, Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton had it really tricky so far. However, after the race, the seven-time champion revealed that he was happy with their performance in Monaco, finishing fourth and fifth. But George Russell evidently did not have a good time at all in Monaco. He collided with Sergio Perez when he tried to rejoin and received a penalty. Later, George even begged his teammate Hamilton to let him pass to manage the penalty time. And apparently, this action did not sit well with the fans.
Fans Slam George Russell For Making Odd Request To Swap Positions
After that cheeky move, fans have called Russell “Shameless” for begging Hamilton to let him pass. They slammed the young Mercedes Briton for his unsportsmanlike behavior. Many fans claimed that the Brackley-based team should lose him before the following season. However, it turns out the primary reason for George Russell to ask Lewis Hamilton to let him pass was to maintain the lead over Charles Leclerc. In the end, the Mercedes F1 team did not allow Hamilton to let him pass. However, Russell was able to beat Charles Leclerc as he finished fifth despite of the 5 seconds penalty.
It would have been based on fortune rather than performance. The whole entitled attitude of Russell gets on my nerves. Bloody cheek asking Mercedes to swap them around because he had a penalty.
— Mark Jones (@MarkJones48) May 28, 2023
Russell did not deserve to beat Hamilton this weekend. Him asking for Lewis to move aside was totally shameless.
— Callum B 94 (@ultimatecb94) May 28, 2023
Him asking for team orders was shameless despite his own mistakes
— GeorgeK VII 👑 (@GeorgeK_VII) May 28, 2023
But it did not stop the F1 fans from criticizing George Russell for his begging. Mainly, they are upset because for them, he is clearly not a team player. A fan even asked, “How can Russell be so selfish?” on social media. There were even more serious reactions from fans, as one said, “There is a need to launch a Federal investigation to find out the reasons for such actions.” Mercedes fan feels Russell has no faith in his own merits and such actions are “so jarring.”
More Reasons For Fans To Be Sad
Furthermore, Mercedes fans are sad because even after the upgrades, they could not come closer to Red Bull. And even more painful is that they lost to a new challenger, Alpine driver Esteban Ocon. Mercedes came so close to getting their second podium finish this season. Lewis Hamilton could finish third, but Ocon beat him to get a podium finish. Moreover, the only podium finish for the Silver Arrows was in Australian Grand Prix.
It was Lewis Hamilton who won his 192nd career podium finish. But George Russell, even after showing promise last season, has not been as effective as expected. Only time will tell if in Barcelona George Russell and also Lewis Hamilton find their much-needed luck. So that the Mercedes drivers can reduce the gap between them and Red Bull.