Lewis Hamilton says George Russell is “an incredibly talented driver” who he expects to have a good relationship when they meet at Mercedes in 2022.
Russell is expected to replace Valtteri Bottas next season, with the Finn joining Alfa Romeo in place of retired Kimi Raikkonen. Previously, Hamilton has focused on his good relationship with Bottas and not openly speaking about the hypothetical situation of being teammates with Russell, but before the Dutch Grand Prix he was very commendable of the Williams driver.
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“I think it would be pretty good,” said Hamilton. “To be honest, I think it’s good. George is clearly an incredibly talented driver. I would say probably the only highlight of last week was his qualifying lap – it was amazing.
“I think he’s humble; he has a great approach. Of course, I can imagine being British helps in terms of communication. But right now, of course, I have to give my team-mate a lot of support, which is why I always support Valtteri because we have a job to do. Neither of us can win the team championship alone, we have to do it together.
“But I think it would be… (Russell) is the future, he’s one of the members of the future of the sport. I think he has shown incredible driving so far and I am sure that he will continue to grow. Where better to do that than in a great team like this or wherever he goes? “
Hamilton is confident that working with Russell would not mean a return to bitter duels within Mercedes like the one between him and Nico Rosberg in the last lap of the 2016 Austrian Grand Prix. Sutton / Motorsport-Bilder
Hamilton believes his partnership with Russell would have a greater chance of being harmonious than if he drove alongside Fernando Alonso and Nico Rosberg.
“It’s not that I have to prove anything. I’ve raced against some incredible drivers as a team-mate. In my rookie year, I was at Fernando’s side. If it turns out I have a new teammate, I’ll be at a different point in my life – I look forward to seeing the young players.
“Of course I don’t want to lose to a youngster! But I’m excited to see how the sport develops as I’m a fan of the sport at the end of the day. You heard me talk about Lando (Norris) earlier in the year. It is encouraging to see these youngsters get through. They are wild, I see a lot of myself in the younger generation. I think they are what the sport will depend on.
“There will be things we learn from each other. I think it is important that there is always respect and communication will always be the focus. We have a great attitude in our team when it comes to morale, our processes and the way the team embraces the two drivers. That is why we have harmony in our team. I think we are much better prepared than in previous years. “
Although no announcement is expected this weekend, Russell confirmed that he knows which team he will compete for next season.
“I know where I’m going next year,” said Russell. “Verbally (told) before spa. I’m not going to sit here and lie and tell the truth. The truth is that there is nothing to announce, but I am aware of the situation where I will be racing next year and I was informed shortly before Spa. “
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