Sir Lewis Hamilton has been more successful than his young teammate George Russell so far in 2023. Albeit, two Red Bull drivers and McLaren’s Lando Norris were able to beat the seven-time champion in Hungary on Sunday. Now they have moved to Belgium. However, again, George Russell finds it difficult to beat his teammate, Lewis Hamilton.
The 38-year-old F1 great was able to get on the podium on four occasions this season. On the other hand, the 25-year-old Mercedes driver managed a single podium finish so far back in Barcelona, Spain. Moreover, the two drivers had a big gap of more than half a second due to the different pace at the end of the season. According to Mercedes’s boss, the key reason for their difference in pace is the diverse setup of the two cars.
Mercedes Boss Explains Why Lewis Hamilton Has Been More Successful Than His Teammate
Toto Wolff pointed out the different approaches of the two drivers. Lewis Hamilton went for a lower downforce. On the other hand, George Russell went for the lesser wing. Hence, the difference is in the rear wing. Due to different rear wings, Hamilton is able to get more performance out of the car. On the other hand, George Russell has an advantage over tire performance, but it did not work out on Friday. That’s what concerns Toto Wolff.
The Mercedes boss claims that Russell has a slight barn door in the back. It should help in tire performance. Moreover, the Mercedes team will look at why it did not work on Friday. On top of that, Toto Wolff mentioned that they were not sure if their new parts would work under the tricky conditions. Hence, he hopes for a dry weekend. Moreover, Mercedes’s boss mentioned that they are happy with getting to the P3 starting spot for Lewis Hamilton. Anyway, there are so many drivers eager to get to P2.
Mercedes Is Finding The Red Bull’s Pace Too Fast To Catch Up To
It has been incredibly difficult for both Mercedes drivers initially to get some points out of driving the horrible car. But Mercedes is introducing new upgrades almost in every race. Since the Monaco upgrades, Lewis Hamilton mentioned the car feels better. However, there is still work to do, especially around the rear end of the W14 car. Despite these upgrades, the Brackley team finds it very tough to catch up with their rivals. The Red Bull team is enjoying the hegemony because of a superior car, thanks to Adrian Newey and Max Verstappen.
Moreover, Verstappen is gradually becoming unbeatable. He is proving time and again that he has a wide range of skills. That’s why on any track, irrespective of the format, he is finding ways to get on top. On the other hand, Lewis Hamilton was able to get his 104th pole position in the Hungarian Grand Prix. He became the first F1 driver to get nine pole positions on one track. Moreover, Hamilton could have made it to his ninth Hungarian GP win. He had a good chance to convert it into his 104th Grand Prix win. But again, the Red Bull’s car pace was too much to handle.
