Former teammate spots key Lewis Hamilton change after Mercedes exit

George Russell has found a change in his relationship with Lewis Hamilton since his former teammate departed the Mercedes F1 team.

With the seven-time World Champion off to Ferrari, Russell has found that Hamilton is far more approachable despite the ongoing frustration at Ferrari.

George Russell spots key difference in Lewis Hamilton

When George Russell was promoted to the Mercedes Formula 1 team, it was likely a daunting prospect. Alongside him would be none other than Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time World Champion in the throes of one of F1’s most dominant winning streaks in all history.

A lesser driver might have folded under the pressure, but Russell quickly proved himself worthy of such a top-level ride by outperforming Hamilton during two of their three years as teammates.

In a sit-down interview with Motorsport Total that touched on everything from a recent commercial to his place at Mercedes, Russell also spoke about how his relationship with former teammate Hamilton has evolved since the seven-time champion left the team.

Russell was asked if his relationship with the driver had faded, to which Russell replied, “No — if anything, it’s actually become a bit closer.

“We sometimes fly together and talk to each other more often off the track.”

While Russell couldn’t pinpoint exactly what had changed between the two, he did acknowledge that he and Hamilton have always gotten along.

“Lewis is someone whose company I really enjoy,” he explained.

“Of course, he’s extremely in the limelight, more than any of us — and sometimes a protective shield goes up.

“But in an intimate setting, he’s someone I get on really well with. It’s nice to have someone like him, someone I can ask for advice from time to time, because he’s at a completely different stage in his career.”

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Motorsport Total circled back to the fact that Russell outperformed Hamilton while they shared a team — as well as the fact that Russell considers his former teammate the greatest driver in F1 history.

“So what does that actually say about you?” Motorsport Total asked. “What does it mean?”

“I’ll leave that to your judgement,” Russell said. “I just ride, week in, week out.

“I’ve always said that I’m not afraid to be anyone’s team-mate. At the end of 2021, Lewis was the hottest property in the field.

“Nobody would have thought that anyone at Mercedes could beat him as a team-mate. I came in and performed from the first race. I always believed in myself.

“The reputation he had is the same as Max has now. Nobody believes that Max is beatable. And people thought the same about Lewis back then.

“People forget that Lewis came into Formula 1 as a rookie and finished on the podium every time in his first [nine] races, with a two-time world champion as his team-mate. That says a lot.”

But where does Russell rank? Will he be the kind of driver capable of dominating World Championships, after it has taken him so long to get to a top-level team?

“Look at Fernando [Alonso]: He comes in, wins two titles in his first four years, and people say, ‘He’s going to get ten,'” Russel said. “He hasn’t won a title since.

“Or Sebastian [Vettel]: He wins four and then no more.

“If you look at Michael Schumacher, it took him five years at Ferrari before he won his first title there. This is now my fourth year at Mercedes, next year will be my fifth…”

The pattern doesn’t guarantee Russell will be competitive in year five, but as he reckons, “Nobody knows when their time will come.

“You just have to make sure that you keep performing consistently, keep delivering. And what happens then — only time will tell.”