Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton has dominated the F1 grid for the most part of his illustrious career. He started his F1 career with McLaren and won his first world championship in 2008. Later, Hamilton joined Mercedes in 2013, and the rest is history. The Briton could not have expected a better collaboration with a team. Lewis Hamilton won six more championship titles with the German team.
But this great success story of F1 history seems to end all of a sudden. Mercedes is no longer a title contender. Now they look to somehow prove that they are the second-best team after Red Bull. The German team is currently aiming to beat Ferrari and Aston Martin. However, they have not got their car fixed yet to challenge those two teams as of yet. On the outer front, it looks like the two drivers of Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, have great chemistry. But is that real?
Is Lewis Hamilton Playing Mind Games With George Russell?
According to the latest information from the FIA host of the press conferences, Tom Clarkson, “Lewis Hamilton might be trying to play mind games with his junior teammate.” Tom explained that at a recent press conference in Australia, Hamilton was in all praise for the young Russell. He even hinted that elder Briton tried to paint Russell as the dominant driver of the team. But Clarkson wonders as to why Hamilton was letting that happen.
After the interview, the FIA reached the conclusion that the seven-time champion tried to pull some mind games with his junior teammate. Maybe Lewis Hamilton is gearing up to shock George Russell on track when he won’t even realize what just happened. The 1996 champion Damon Hill also suggested something similar to this view, saying, “We are F1 racers. We are competitive as well as a bit political.” So, Hamilton might be trying to put as much pressure on him and remove as many distractions from his way. Perhaps it is safe to say that Hamilton is way more experienced in performing these mind games with the drivers.
It Is Mercedes Vs. Mercedes – Veteran Vs. Youth
The young Russell debuted for Mercedes only last season, whereas the 38-year-old Briton is looking for his eighth coveted title in his tenth year with Mercedes. The fans of the German F1 team are eagerly looking at the veteran and the youth to beat Red Bull this season. Albeit, it seems a bit far-fetched wish as of now. But the fans and experts are also aware of the growing competition between the two racers. The young Russell was able to beat the veteran last year.
Mercedes won their only race of the previous season in Sao Paolo, Brazil. It was George Russell who won his maiden Grand Prix, and Hamilton came second. It was a rare season where the seven-time champion did not win a single race. Hence, it is clear that their chemistry won’t matter on the track as both of them will look to beat one another. After the first three races of the 2023 season, Lewis Hamilton holds the 4th place, whereas George Russell is the 7th place holder.