George Russell moved to Mercedes from Williams in 2022 and replaced Valterri Bottas to be the new teammate of Lewis Hamilton. However, that year was not a memorable one for the Silver Arrows. They only managed to win a single race in 2022. But the good news for the new driver of the German outfit was that he was the one to win the only race that year. He even managed to beat the seven-time champion on the Driver’s standings. In his first season for the Brackley team, George Russell became a hero as he beat the legendary Lewis Hamilton.
But that season saw Mercedes drop down in the constructor standings. The team that was dominating the grid from 2014 to 2021 suddenly could not win more than a single race. It was a big shock for the Hamilton fans as well as the German fans. Nonetheless, for the young British driver coming from Williams, it was a big transition as he was driving for a champion team alongside the champion of champions.
The 26-Year-Old Driver Learned A Lot From Lewis Hamilton Within The First Year
George Russell has always been very respectful toward his legendary teammate since he joined Mercedes. However, the drivers of the Silver Arrows had some tense moments on the race tracks as people expected them to have a fitting rivalry. Recently, in an interview with AMuS, Russell said the vast experience of Lewis Hamilton has helped him become a better teammate and a driver. Moreover, Russell was like, “I can say from experience that I learned so much more from Lewis within the first year than what I did in three years at Williams.” Clearly, the seven-time champion has taught his younger teammate a great deal about racing in 2022. Hence, a lot of credit should go to Hamilton for Russell’s maiden Grand Prix victory at Sao Paolo, Brazil.
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That was the year when the Mercedes car was dealing with the issue of porpoising. Both drivers suffered a lot of bruises, back and neck pains because the car was bouncing more than they could control. That’s the reason why the Silver Arrows had such a tough time in 2022 and 2023. But back in 2022 reports came in that said, “George and Lewis are working together tirelessly to solve the problem.” Hence, that phase surely taught Russell a great deal about struggle and being there for the team.
George Russell Will Be The New Number 1 Mercedes Driver
In 2025, Lewis Hamilton will join the Prancing Horse. Albeit, it will be a historic moment in F1 when the greatest team meets the greatest driver, it will be a tough transition phase for Mercedes. Since 2013, the Silver Arrows have had one common name as their numero uno racer.
But now that the seven-time champion decided to part ways, they will have to see if George Russell can take the responsibility for the number 1 Mercedes driver. Andrea Kimi Antonelli will replace Lewis Hamilton next year in the Brackley team. But Toto Wolff believes Russell will play the role of the leader in front of the 18-year-old Italian prodigy, Kimi Antonelli.
Stay tuned to Sports News International for more such updates about your favorite F1 team.