F1 champion Lewis Hamilton delivers sly Mercedes team-mate DIG ahead of 2025 split

Mercedes

Hamilton delivers sly team-mate DIG ahead of 2025 split

Lewis Hamilton has two races remaining with Mercedes

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Wednesday 27 November 2024 10:58 Updated: 16:10

Lewis Hamilton has aimed a sly dig towards his Formula 1 team-mate George Russell ahead of their 2025 split.

It was Russell who emerged ahead of the seven-time world champion at the Las Vegas GP, and claimed his second victory of the season in a dominant weekend for Mercedes.

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Hamilton ensured the team achieved a one-two finish, despite starting all the way down in P10 after a mistake in qualifying cost him the chance to fight for pole position.

Following the Las Vegas GP, Hamilton and Russell’s qualifying head-to-head record sits at 17-5 in the younger Brit’s favour, with the seven-time champion often bemoaning his qualifying performances in 2024.

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton celebrated a one-two in Las Vegas

George Russell has outperformed Lewis Hamilton in 2024

Lewis Hamilton aims dig at George Russell following Las Vegas GP win

Hamilton and Russell will contest two more races together as team-mates, before the champion heads to Ferrari for 2025 and Kimi Antonelli joins Mercedes.

However, whilst the 39-year-old was clearly pleased with such a positive result for Mercedes in Las Vegas, Hamilton still had time to make a sly dig, appearing to suggest that Russell's method of victory wasn't 'fun'.

"Yeah, great, great performance. It's not that I didn't think I could do it. So, yeah, I've had many races like this, but I'm generally happy to have had the recovery," Hamilton said at the post-race press conference at the Las Vegas GP.

"You know, it's a new day and I just tried to approach it with a positive mindset. And you know, to be able to have a car underneath me today, and be able to push and overtake people was such a great feeling.

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Lewis Hamilton claims his Las Vegas GP performance 'felt more fun'

"That was honestly one of the most enjoyable races. Yeah, if I'd started pole and just led the way, wouldn't have felt as much fun, for sure.

"Of course, winning a grand prix is always a great thing, but when whoever it is faces adversity and has to battle through, it just feels so much better when you do succeed."

Lewis Hamilton Mercedes George Russell Michael Schumacher