Martin Brundle highlights major hurdle in Lewis Hamilton vs George Russell Mercedes F1 rivalry

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Brundle highlights major hurdle in Hamilton vs Russell Mercedes rivalry

The Mercedes pair will be eager to get back to winning ways next season

Matthew Hobkinson Lead Editor

F1 Editor & Journalist

Friday 29 December 2023 17:57

Martin Brundle has questioned whether George Russell has the 'head to cope with' a championship fight alongside Mercedes team-mate and seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton.

When Russell made the move from Williams to replace Valtteri Bottas, there is no doubting that he would have envisaged the last few seasons going a bit differently.

There have been plenty of highlights for the 25-year-old, such as winning the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix and outscoring Hamilton in the same season, but Red Bull's dominance emerged just as he made the move.

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We have therefore never seen the man from King's Lynn given the opportunity to properly compete for a world championship.

George Russell finished the season P8 in the drivers' standings, 59 points behind Lewis Hamilton in P3

And Martin Brundle has questioned whether Russell has the mental resilience to deal with a possible title fight

Brundle: Does Russell have mental resilience to be F1 champion?

And this is something that Brundle is unsure of as to how the Mercedes man will cope, after he was asked who between Russell and Hamilton is most likely to win a championship in the next two years.

"I think they're so close, those two, if you look at the stats, but George had a couple of nightmare races this year," Brundle told Sky Sports.

"It depends if Lewis maintains his current motivation, but it's so close to call.

"Lewis knows how to do that but George has got youth on his side. I don't know the answer to that, but I definitely wouldn't say, ‘oh, Lewis without a doubt, because he's already a seven-time champion.' That I would absolutely not say.

"Until George is in a championship winning position, we don't know if he's got the head to cope with it."

Red Bull Mercedes George Russell Valtteri Bottas Martin Brundle