Lewis Hamilton says relationship with George Russell ‘won’t be a problem’ for Mercedes in 2023

George Russell took his first F1 win at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix as Mercedes sealed a one-two at Interlagos; Silver Arrows’ improved late-season form has raised hopes they can challenge Red Bull for the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships in 2023

Lewis Hamilton says he is confident he and team-mate George Russell will be able to maintain a strong working relationship next season, even if Mercedes are back in the title hunt.

Russell, 24, impressed in his first season with Mercedes, claiming his maiden Grand Prix win – and the team’s first of the 2022 season – in Sao Paulo on Sunday to take a 25-point lead over the seven-time champion of the world Hamilton at the world championship. with just the season finale in Abu Dhabi remaining.

However, the fact that Mercedes were rarely in contention for race wins and spent much of the campaign working to close the gap to constructors’ champions Red Bull, ensured a lack of tension and avoidance. contentious situations for team principal Toto Wolff. treat.

“I’m a lot older and I’ve been with the team for so long,” Hamilton said before finishing second behind Russell in Brazil.

“So dealing with all the challenges that we face moving forward, we’ve been through so much that I don’t think will be a problem.”

Hamilton also said Russell’s first campaign with the team was “impressive”, but it was “super easy” for him to blend in with having been part of the Mercedes setup for a long time, even during his three seasons with Williams.

Unless he wins in Abu Dhabi, Hamilton will end a season without a win for the first time in his F1 career.

“I saw what he did to Williams,” Hamilton said. “I think naturally you have to say it’s impressive what he’s done this year, the consistency he’s had, the way he’s come in and just started.

“It’s not like he’s come to a whole new team. The previous two years he sat right behind me and watched the work I was doing with the engineers, with Ricky (who), who is now his number one.

“It’s been super easy to fit in. He uses my steering wheel, and he obviously has to do the test days before the year, so I think he’s fitted in perfectly and he’s been a positive force in the game. ‘crew.

“He helped keep the balance in the team, in terms of the working relationship, I think it’s strong.”

Russell on Merc’s learning process | Wolff: They’re both alphas.

Russell, who also won the Sprint at Interlagos on Saturday, remains confident he still has plenty of room for improvement.

The former F2 champion says he has spent the early stages of the 2022 season adjusting to the relative scale of Mercedes’ operations.

“In some ways, I felt a bit like a rookie this year because the level at which this team operates is a level that I’ve never experienced before, and I talk about things that I’ve never even heard of. in F1 before,” Russell said.

“It took me time to learn and understand how to get the most out of the team, the car.

“The capacity within this team is huge and the potential is huge, and learning to use all the resources at our disposal to bring more performance is a lot more than I’ve ever been used to and that makes me feel better. took a bit of time while I focused on that.”

Speaking after his team’s one-two finish in Sao Paulo, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff insisted he was happy to have two competitive drivers competing for wins, instead of having a “pup” on the team.

“They’re both alpha pilots and that’s good,” Wolff said.

“We don’t want a puppy in the car. We’re handling this as best we can.”

Button: Mercedes teammates ‘very respectful’

Former F1 champion Jenson Button believes mutual respect made Russell and Hamilton an ideal pair at Mercedes.

“I obviously think Lewis doesn’t want George to beat him because Lewis wants to win every race as a racing driver,” Button said on Any Driven on Monday.

“But for Lewis, five years earlier, if George came into the team, we would see a different Lewis Hamilton in terms of opinions about his teammate and opinions about him.

“Lewis is such a complete character now in terms of how he races. He’s been so successful in the sport, and yeah, he probably won’t be racing for so many years, so he probably thinks ‘this guy is basically as good as people in their 20s are right now, I’m in my late 30s and I’m still able to fight or beat him”.

“I think Lewis is very comfortable with himself, I think he’s a very good driver pairing.

“They’re both very respectful and that’s the first thing you need, to be respectful and to be truthful in terms of setting up, to be open to your opinions and that’s the only way for them to to work together and build as a team.”