The maxim that the first person to beat is your teammate never holds true more than it does in Formula 1. Drivers can tell the media that they don’t care what their teammate is doing, how fast they are or where them in the points. However, the reality is that they are constantly being compared to each other and paying very close attention to what everyone is doing.
In most cases, teammate comparisons are the only accurate way to gauge a particular driver’s performance. After all, they’re in the same car. When it comes to racing, every driver wants to make sure they qualify first and leave their teammates behind.
Lewis Hamilton knows this better than anyone. In his 14 years in Formula 1, Hamilton had five teammates: Fernando Alonso, Heikki Kovalainen, Jenson Button, Nico Rosberg and Valtteri Bottas. Only one, Rosberg, beat Hamilton to the world title.
In 2022, Valtteri Bottas will join the Alfa Romeo F1 team to make room for George Russell. Widely regarded as a future world champion, Russell has already impressed the Formula 1 paddock with a number of performances that indicate his future potential.
Hamilton is in the twilight of his career. At 36, Hamilton is 13 years older than Russell and Mercedes GP is betting that his younger teammate will be the team’s future.
Hamilton will not easily give up the role of number 1 driver at Mercedes, but he knows only too well that Russell’s first assignment beats him.
Lewis Hamilton sees Russell as his own mentality and knows what’s coming in 2022
Race winner Lewis Hamilton from Great Britain and Mercedes GP are congratulated by George Russell from Great Britain and Williams in Parc Ferme during the Bahrain F1 Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit on March 28, 2021 | Dan Istitene / Getty Images
Speaking to Auto Motor und Sport, as quoted by GrandPrix247.com, Hamilton spoke at length about having George Russell as a teammate. “As you know, George is a very respectful person. He is super talented and there is already a lot of mutual respect. He will certainly be quick and want to win, ”said the seven-time world champion.
“I remember saying before the duel with Alonso that I wanted to beat him in the first race. I expect George to feel the same way and approach it with the same attitude. Otherwise he wouldn’t be a winner.
“We will of course compete against each other and I want to win the duel, but I hope that I can also have a positive influence on his development as a team. For example, when it comes to spending time with the engineers, how he works his way through the data or how he drives on the track. “
Lewis Hamilton combines his own experiences as a young driver with what he expects from George Russell
ART Grand Prix Formula 2 drivers George Russell from Great Britain and Williams F1 and Lewis Hamilton from Great Britain and Mercedes GP speak in the drivers press conference during the preview of the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at the Yas Marina Circuit on November 22, 2018 | Clive Mason / Getty Images
“I drove against drivers who didn’t always show their true colors. Of course, I don’t know if that’s the case here. I am now 36 years old and have been doing this for so long. It’s not the first time I’ve met a driver who is good or bad in some way, ”says Lewis Hamilton.
“But now I feel much better equipped to deal with this situation. I know George is a super fast driver. And it will definitely get faster and faster and more mature over time. There is no doubt about that.
“When I look back at myself at 24 or 25 – I made mistakes at the time – I had the speed in the car, but outside I had a lot of different experiences when I was suddenly in the spotlight. I didn’t do much back then. That’s why I won’t blame anyone else for that. “
Lewis Hamilton is now one of the last drivers of his generation to compete. He has largely seen and experienced everything that he has tough and fast teammates. He expects Russell to take off at Mercedes and be hard to beat in terms of speed.
In the twilight of an incredible career, don’t expect Lewis Hamilton to avoid the next generation
Lewis Hamilton from Great Britain with the (44) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes W11 leads George Russell from Great Britain with the (63) Williams Racing FW43 Mercedes during practice before the F1 Grand Prix of Tuscany at the Mugello Circuit on 11. | Bryn Lennon / Getty Images
Lewis Hamilton deserves recognition as one of the greats of all time. But at the end of his career he will have to face ever greater challenges from the younger generation of drivers. Up to that point he was up to anyone, but with George Russell more comfortable at Mercedes, one can assume that Hamilton will have to rely more on experience than raw speed to beat Russell.
Hamilton’s speed is directly related to the level of his competition. He is unique in that he can seemingly find some extra gear in his own performances when the competition or challenge looks particularly tough. The Sao Paulo Grand Prix is a perfect example of this, with a drive through the field following a string of penalties that will go down in history as one of its best. This achievement came from a “must-win” situation in his fight with Max Verstappen for the championship title. If Hamilton had been in the championship lead, as is so often the case, it would have been unlikely that he would have had that kind of drive.
To beat George Russell and Max Verstappen in 2022 and beyond, Hamilton will have to re-conjure up these types of drives. The incredible accomplishments that Hamilton brings are the reason why he is so successful and will continue to do so until he retires from the sport.
To assume that Russell will join the Mercedes GP team and have Hamilton’s level in 2022 would be a mistake. The seven-time champion indulges in the challenge of proving people wrong. George Russell will want to beat Hamilton in every race, but Hamilton is still proving that he is at the top of his game and that should affect everyone in Formula 1, not just his teammates.
See also: Toto Wolff draws line in the sand for Mercedes GP teammates Lewis Hamilton and George Russell
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