George Russell is poised to become the team leader at Mercedes when Lewis Hamilton departs. Hamilton announced in the winter that he’d be joining Ferrari in 2025.
Having partnered a seven-time world champion and one of the most experienced drivers in F1 history, Russell is now set to go up against a rookie. There’s a ‘99%’ chance that 17-year-old Kimi Antonelli gets the seat.
Russell joined Mercedes in 2022, having spent three years developing at Williams. Impressively, he beat Hamilton straight away, outscoring him by 275 points to 240.
Hamilton struck back in 2023 as he finished third, with Russell 59 points and five places further down. But there’s no question who’s had the advantage this year.
Heading into their home race at Silverstone, Russell is thrashing Hamilton 9-2 in qualifying and 8-3 in the races. After his shock victory in Austria last time out, he’s built a 26-point buffer over his compatriot.
Russell has now been responsible for both of Mercedes’ victories during their partnership. The first of those came in Brazil in 2022, when Hamilton was second.
George Russell insists he’s now ‘closer’ to Lewis Hamilton
The surprising disparity between the two drivers has led to speculation that Mercedes are favouring Russell at the expense of the departing Hamilton. But the 26-year-old believes their relationship is stronger than ever.
“If anything, we’ve grown closer together,” he said in an interview with The Times.
Russell also addressed the possibility that Mercedes will exclude Hamilton from team meetings at some point. They won’t want him gathering too much information about their 2025 car before he joins a competitor.
It’s a particularly sensitive period for F1 teams as they begin preparations for 2026 too. They’re tackling some of the biggest changes in the sport’s recent history, which is why they’ve had to start work early.
Russell believes that the ‘secrets’ alone may be of limited use for Hamilton. There’s no guarantee that Ferrari would be able to take advantage.
“I think you can also argue that if Picasso showed an artist his work, that artist still has to re-create it,” he said. “You can give the secrets away, or give the chef the ingredients, but they’ve still got to cook the meal.”
Mercedes tell Hamilton why he’s losing out to Russell
By beating Hamilton this year, Russell is boosting his own reputation inside Mercedes and beyond. This could be particularly significant long-term.
That’s because Toto Wolff could soon be facing a major driver quandary. With Max Verstappen potentially on the market for 2026, he may be left choosing between Russell and emerging superstar Antonelli for a seat.
If Russell can continue to dominate F1’s most successful driver, it will leave a lasting impression. Mercedes have told Hamilton that he might be able to address the qualifying deficit if he drives at ‘99.9%’, nursing the tyres more than he is at present.
Fresh from his Spielberg victory, Russell will, at the very least, have his sights set on a first Silverstone podium this weekend. He suffered a DNF in 2022 after a dramatic first-corner accident, and finished fifth last year.
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