The harmonious relationship between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell on and off the track was tested at the Qatar Grand Prix when the seven-time world champion caused a collision between the two men.
Toto Wolff should have known that a collision between his two drivers was inevitable thanks to their fighting spirit, but now the question is whether the British duo can overcome the the other side to help Mercedes return to its former glory or not. There was no mistake on Sunday, Lewis Hamilton was at fault and he accepts full responsibility for that mistake.
But both men’s immediate reactions to the collision on team radio showed how quickly tensions can arise in a team environment, and Hamilton knows better than most how bad things can be. how it might happen. The collision between the Mercedes drivers was immediately compared to the collision between Hamilton and Nico Rosberg many years ago. The last thing Wolff wants is a repeat of the same partnership to emerge over the next few years, with Hamilton and Russell locked into new deals until the end of 2025. At that point, Mercedes will hope they can be like that again. fight for titles and they arguably have the best driver lineup to do it.
Choosing Russell to replace Valtteri Bottas in 2022 is a sign that Wolff has learned lessons from the Hamilton-Rosberg debacle while still wanting to keep the team competitive. With Bottas, Mercedes made a safe bet that he never really challenged Hamilton at a time when he didn’t need to be pushed too hard.
Part of the reason things went so wrong for Rosberg and Hamilton was because both drivers were at the same stage in their careers. Mercedes’ decision to bring in Russell is said to be partly due to their hope that the young Englishman will succeed Hamilton and learn from one of his sporting heroes.
Russell has a certain respect for Hamilton and everything he has achieved. Just days before being sidelined by Hamilton, Russell praised his teammates for helping him reach new heights.
“He is the greatest racer of all time. Every weekend, I go out, I practice, I race, I race, you are directly compared to the greatest racer of all time,” he said. said on the Beyond The Grid podcast. “It’s a privileged position because not many riders get this opportunity. We all believe in ourselves. We all believe we are the best and we all believe that when we have the car, we will win the championship.”
“I can very, very confidently sit here and say there’s probably five drivers on this grid that, if you put them in the best car, they will win the championship. I have no doubt about that. For me, Lewis is one of those guys.” Russell added: “I truly believe in myself, the team believes in me, and that’s been really down to the fact that I’ve been team-mates with Lewis and held my own.”
But the 25-year-old has already shown signs during the last two races that his battles with Hamilton are starting to grate on him. Teams have always struggled to find the right balance with two drivers capable of pushing for race wins and world titles.
Wolff would have thought he’d found the right formula by bringing in a young Russell to team up with Hamilton from 2022. But the crash in Qatar highlights how thin that line can be in keeping both sides of the garage happy.
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