George Russell Claims He Has ‘Learned’ More in a Year With Lewis Hamilton Than He Did in 3 Years at Williams

George Russell joined Mercedes in 2022, and fans anticipated a competitive match between the experienced seven-time champion and the young driver.

Despite experiencing some emotional moments together, Russell has remained politely apart from his far more experienced partner. The 26-year-old driver praised Hamilton’s experience and emphasized how much it taught him.

Russell told AMuS that during the first year, he learned a lot from his Mercedes teammate. “In my experience, I learned more in my first year alongside Lewis than I did in my three years at Williams,” he remarked.

Russell’s Mercedes was beset by porpoising during his rookie season. Still, Russell outscored Hamilton in their first season together. Reports, however, indicate that the two Mercedes drivers were cooperative and concentrated on fixing the vehicle’s problems. Russell may have learned a great deal from this.

After winning all those titles in the 2010s, Hamilton rose to prominence as the face of Mercedes. Russell, who is regarded as the team’s new leader, has taken over the reins after the seven-time champion moved to Ferrari.

Toto Wolff signed Russell with him for 2022 after declining Hamilton’s request to keep Bottas back in 2021. The 39-year-old wanted the Finn to continue, but Wolff saw Russell as a top driver and was considering the team’s long-term goals.

It takes more than just scoring points and going for the win to be the team’s lead driver. Leading by example is essential to inspiring the team to achieve success and greatness.

Prominent lead drivers such as Michael Schumacher, Max Verstappen, and Hamilton are aware of the difficulties but nevertheless persistently push their team for more.

Even during difficult times, Hamilton has always been able to maintain the team’s positive attitude. Regardless of the outcome, the seven-time champion was always grateful for the work done by the staff behind the scenes.

Russell will have to assume the lead driver role at Mercedes as he hasn’t yet done so. While Kimi Antonelli will take over for Hamilton, Russell will continue to be Mercedes’ go-to driver for technical advice and spearheading the team’s championship push.