Lewis Hamilton F1 replacement SORTED says Mercedes driver development chief

Lewis Hamilton

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Hamilton replacement SORTED says Mercedes driver development chief

Mercedes have already planned for Lewis Hamilton's departure and believe they already have his replacement lined up

Jay Winter

Tuesday 23 May 2023 17:58 Updated: 21:16

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Mercedes' head of F1 driver development believes the Silver Arrows already have Lewis Hamilton's replacement as the team's leader among their ranks.

Gwen Lagrue expressed his utmost confidence in Mercedes driver George Russell as the rightful successor to their seven-time world champion – whether he departs to Ferrari, as recent reports suggest, or eventually when he retires from the sport or leaves Mercedes.

Russell outperformed Hamilton in his debut season for Mercedes, finishing fourth in the drivers' standings with 275 points to his veteran team-mate's 240.

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The former Williams driver also grabbed his first-ever career Grand Prix victory while Hamilton picked up the unfortunate feat of going winless throughout a whole season for the first time in his F1 career.

In an interview with Autohebdo, Lagrue sang Russell's praises for making the best of the hardware he's had despite Mercedes' stuttering progress since the 2022 regulations switch.