Major Lewis Hamilton F1 DEFEAT sees Mercedes star issue stunning 'strength' claim

George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, Brazil, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

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Major Hamilton DEFEAT sees Mercedes star issue stunning 'strength' claim

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton were team-mates for three years

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Thursday 30 January 2025 11:56

Mercedes Formula 1 star George Russell has delivered a claim over his major strength in the sport following a huge defeat for former team-mate Lewis Hamilton.

The seven-time champion recently departed the Silver Arrows after 12 successful years with the team where he claimed six of his seven drivers' titles.

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However, Hamilton and Russell's partnership did not prove as successful for Mercedes as they would have hoped, marking a struggling time for the team as they lost momentum following the introduction of the ground effect era.

The duo did manage to sneak in a couple of wins across the 2024 season, with a highlight being Hamilton's final home victory at Silverstone with Toto Wolff's team before he departed for Ferrari.

Despite continuing to break records in F1 last season, the 40-year-old struggled massively in qualifying throughout 2024 and was frequently defeated during the Saturday sessions by compatriot Russell.

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell shared one final podium as team-mates in 2024

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Russell declares 2025 goals in unique F1 assessment

Russell out-qualified his champion team-mate 18-6 by the time the 2024 season had concluded, crowning the younger of the pair as the more consistent qualifier.

In a pre-season interview with Mercedes, Russell reflected on the past season, analysing his strengths and weaknesses.

“My goals are very much the same and the approach has not changed,” Russell said.

"Formula 1 is so unique, so you cannot really set goals like that. If I say that I want to win four races this year because last year I won three, I am not going to be satisfied if I win five but the car is capable of 10.

"I tend to keep my goals on more details targets. Last year qualifying was my strength, but my race pace was not always the best. I know I have the speed over one lap but there is no reason why I should not be able to convert that over the course of a race.

"I need to work on some elements to achieve that, and there will be some other goals – that perhaps are not clear to the fans at home but are at the forefront of my mind.

"The great thing about F1 is you enter a new year, with a new car and new limitations – something that may have been a strength last year may not be this year. You always have to adapt."

F1 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes George Russell Toto Wolff