Hamilton missed the Sakhir Grand Prix last year after testing positive for COVID-19, prompting Mercedes to draft junior driver Russell von Williams for the weekend.
Russell showed an impressive performance on his debut for Mercedes despite minimal preparation, qualified second and led the majority of the race before finishing eighth due to a pit mistake and a late puncture.
The performance contributed to Russell having to move up to the Mercedes roster one day, possibly as early as 2022, when both Hamilton and teammate Valtteri Bottas no longer had a contract.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff was recently asked in an interview with the Austrian newspaper Osterreich about a rumor that Hamilton and Russell did not speak to each other.
Wolff said in an interview that he does not know of any gap, but that he recognizes the competition between the older and younger generations in F1.
George Russell, Mercedes F1 W11
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
When asked about the rumor right ahead of this weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Russell made it clear that his relationship with Hamilton was unchanged and that nothing should be read into it without talking specifically about the Sakhir race.
“I think the question to me was if you spoke to Lewis after Bahrain and no, we didn’t speak as we didn’t speak after any other race,” said Russell.
“We run against each other. When we see each other in the paddock, we would speak. We saw each other this year, a little punch on the way, and that’s the same as it has been since 2019 and last year before the Bahrain Grand Prix.
“My relationship with Lewis is the same as with a lot of drivers up and down the paddock, which is fine.
“So there are no hard feelings and no problems between me and Lewis.”
Russell is out of a contract with Williams at the end of the season and adds to suggestions that he could move up to the Mercedes roster for next year, particularly on the back of his display in Sakhir.
Mercedes has always insisted that their first port of call when discussing plans for 2022 would be with current drivers Hamilton and Bottas.
When asked by Autosport if he was considering life outside the Mercedes umbrella for 2022 if a senior seat were not available, Russell said the idea “didn’t even cross my mind at the moment.”
“They have their belief in me, I have my belief in them, and time will tell,” said Russell.
“It has been clear since day one since 2016 that I signed for Mercedes, do the work on the track and the opportunities will come, and that was the case with GP3, F2 and then my career in Formula 1.
“Of course we signed the three-year contract [with Williams] back in 2018. Let’s wait and see. At the moment, that thought didn’t even cross my mind. “
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