Despite Mercedes' surprising troubles in the first four rounds of 2022, new recruit Russell has gotten more out of the W13 car than seven-time champion Hamilton.
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George Russell believes Lewis Hamilton will come back stronger this season following a rocky start, praising his Mercedes teammate’s really amazing work behind the scenes. Despite Mercedes’ surprising troubles in the first four rounds of 2022, new recruit Russell has gotten more out of the W13 car than seven-time champion Hamilton.
Russell is presently fourth in the championship, 21 points and three places ahead of Hamilton, having moved up from Williams this season. But, much as Mercedes and Hamilton say that F1’s most successful driver will recover, Russell believes there is no cause to be concerned. “Lewis has clearly got the pace,” Russell told Sky Sports F1. “He’s incredibly fast and he’s showed that so far this year, but it’s just been tricky for us as a team to get it done when the time is needed.
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“When things have been more stable, Lewis has still been massively fast. I know there was a bit of a blip last weekend but I have no doubt he’s going to come back and the way he’s pushing the team and motivating the team is truly inspiring. We all want more. He wants more. Nobody is happy with the position we’re in currently,” the Brit added.
To say Lewis Hamilton had a poor weekend would be an understatement. Out in Q2, P14 in the Sprint, and P13 in the race. Not seven-time world champion numbers for sure. The Brit is in seventh place in the drivers’ standings with just 28 points in four races. Hamilton looked like a shell of his former self as he spent most of the Emilia Romagna GP stuck behind Pierre Gasly’s AlphaTauri. His teammate, George Russell, surged through the grid to achieve P4. However, Hamilton never looked like making a pass throughout. The Brit was noticeably dejected after the race, acknowledging that he was out of the 2022 world title picture. “I’m out of the championship, for sure,” said the Mercedes driver. “There is no question about that. But I’ll still keep working as hard as I can, to try and pull it back together somehow.”
Mercedes led the constructors’ championship with 141 points after four races last season. However, they only have 77 points at this point in the season, and are currently 47 points behind first-placed Ferrari. Despite this, Team Principal Toto Wolff has praised the “positive,” “productive” relationship that his “refreshed” line-up of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton has this season. Russell, who is in his first year as a full-time Mercedes driver, has adjusted well to his new surroundings and is currently fourth in the drivers’ standings, 21 points ahead of Hamilton.
