Lewis Hamilton’s exit, according to George Russell, will provide Mercedes with a “new start” and “ignites a new spark.”
The revelation made by seven-time champion Hamilton in February that he had triggered a contract break and would be joining Ferrari for the 2025 season marked the end of the most successful driver-team combination in Formula One history.
Although Hamilton has won six world championships with the Brackley team and 82 of his 103 grand prix with Mercedes, he hasn’t won since the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in 2021.
Russell joined Mercedes as a teammate ahead of the 2022 season, although the team has struggled since the ground-effects era began. Russell led the team to their lone victory in Sao Paulo in 2022.
Although the real time differential is negligible, Russell leads Hamilton 7-1 in qualifying in 2024. He also leads Hamilton 5-2 in races where both have been classified and leads by 54 points to 42.
Seen as Hamilton’s long-term replacement as team captain, the British player believes that his approaching exit is a necessary aspect of the team’s need to “evolve.”
Russell told the Daily Mail, “My job is to beat my team-mate and get the most out of the car.”
“The team is starting over; many of us have succeeded together, but change often kindles a new flame inside each of us.
Lewis experiences that, and for us here the following year, it ignites that. You have to change and grow, and we’re now starting from scratch.
“It is good that Lewis is leaving us now — rather in 2021, when it would have been difficult for the whole team.”
Technical guidance
It was revealed in the middle of 2023 that Mike Elliott, who was appointed chief technology officer, would replace James Allison as technical director, a position he had left empty prior to the 2022 season.
At the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix, the team abandoned the problematic zero sidepod design. However, more significant architecture changes could not be made to the W14 during the season, so the ’24 W15 would be the team’s first opportunity to implement those additional changes, which would have included reversing Hamilton’s request to move the cockpit.
Mercedes is improving, and the new front wing they received for Monaco is one of the reasons the W15 hasn’t been as competitive as anticipated early in the season. Nevertheless, the W15 hasn’t yet finished on the podium.
Russell went into detail about Mercedes’s technical operations and how the team had “overshot” with the current vehicle.
“When you look at the data and you correlate it with how it feels, you understand why last year wasn’t good and nor was the year before,” he said.
It used to be all in the back, but now it’s all in the front. We made too many adjustments, which is the issue.
“We kept going and overshot, even though it was in the right direction. It proves that a compromise is always possible.
“We have a fantastic staff and more fantastic members joining us. James Allison, our technical director, is back in charge and he’s not letting anything slip.
“There’s clear leadership, and I’m quite a rational person, [and] morale does get knocked when you realise it is going to be a tough season.”