Lewis Hamilton and George Russell positive relationship key for Mercedes

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton — Photo: © LAT Images

Mercedes

What makes Hamilton and Russell's relationship different

Russell believes his working relationship with Hamilton is key to Mercedes getting back to the front

Stuart Hodge

Monday 13 February 2023 13:28 Updated: 15:38

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George Russell outperformed Lewis Hamilton for Mercedes last year but at no point did if feel like any animosity was building between the pair.

The last time a team-mate outperformed Lewis Hamilton was in 2016 as Nico Rosberg claimed his one and only F1 drivers' crown.

As the stakes of the competition between them ratcheted up, the relationship between the two men became more and more fraught.

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Rosberg eventually won the title by five points ahead of Hamilton, despite the Englishman winning and starting on pole for the final four races of the season. A retirement in Malaysia compounded a slow start to the season for the Englishman, who had won the two previous titles.

Rosberg completed the season with four second place finishes and it delivered the championship. In the final race, the rivalry with Hamilton perhaps reached its peak as the now seven-time champion slowed down deliberately in an attempt to give other drivers a chance to pass Rosberg.

That went against repeated instructions from Mercedes not to risk losing the race to Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel, who was quickly catching up.

The pair famously struggled to get on – with their car the best in the field, pitting them in direct competition for the title.

But there were no such issues last season, even as Russell outperformed Hamilton.

Last season, Russell finished 35 points clear of his veteran team-mate in his first year with Mercedes after waiting in the wings for the seat.

He recognises that the pair being at opposite ends of their career may have helped in terms of their working relationship.

"If there were problems between the drivers in the past, maybe it was because the age difference was smaller and there was fighting for the lead in the team," Russell said.

"We don't have that. If the good relationship with Lewis broke down, we would be start to hurt over time and not help the team.

Russell wants more from Mercedes

A big difference between 2022 and six years earlier is that Mercedes weren't fighting for the title last season. Red Bull's Max Verstappen had wrapped it up early and the Silver Arrows only had the third fastest car.

This winter has been a busy one for the team as it seeks to get back on top and build on the one-two achieved in the season’s penultimate race in Brazil.

Russell wants much more than that though.

"For me, that victory in Brazil was more important than the points classification," he told Auto, Motor und Sport.

"At the end of the day, nobody remembers that I beat Lewis on points. I only finished fourth, so no man's land."

Why Russell and Hamilton's relationship is different

It's clear Russell is hoping that the W14 will help Mercedes get back to fighting at the front regularly.

If that happens, then the pair working together can only benefit the team in the long run.

"Lewis and I work well because we know that together we can take the team further than going against each other.

"We know that we are building a car that will be faster than last year's car. I'm also sure that we will improve compared to last year. But we don't know what everyone else did – and that's the problem, it's a relative game."