Jonathan FletcherGeorge Russell reflects on his 2023 season with Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes F1, discussing their competitive clashes and the challenges of matching performance levels within the team.
George Russell is not surprised that he and Lewis Hamilton, his teammate at Mercedes F1, have repeatedly clashed in 2023, leading to a few skirmishes. According to the young Briton, issues like those seen in Japan or Qatar are even inevitable.
“It’s normal when you are so close in terms of performance, when you clock the same lap times or start side by side on the grid, you will always be close,” Russell explains about himself and his teammate.
“We always review our strategies during meetings. The pace difference between the two of us is nil. We often encounter each other over a 24-race season, with an average of 60 laps per race, and he’s the driver I come across the most. We cross paths a lot, and he is the driver I encounter the most.”
However, Russell has no issue facing Hamilton, and he assures that minor errors do not undermine their mutual trust: “I also think we trust each other.”
“There can be moments of tension, difficult moments, but we trust each other. We know we will give each other enough space to necessarily fight and not exceed our limits.”
Russell-Hamilton F1 Rivalry Intensifies 2024
Despite having a very difficult season in 2023, Russell still wants to give his all in the future, and he hopes to surpass himself in 2024 to face his seven-time world champion teammate: “I am deliberately trying to exceed my limits.”
“I’m not satisfied just being on par with my teammate in qualifying or anything else, like in 2022 where we were equal throughout the season. I want to be in front. That’s what I strive to do. Maybe that’s a bit why I made a few extra mistakes.”
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