Lewis Hamilton’s departure from Mercedes is set to bring a fresh start and renewed energy, according to George Russell. With Hamilton moving to Ferrari in 2025, Russell sees this change as a positive for both the team and the driver.
The news that the upcoming F1 2024 season would be Hamilton’s last with Mercedes broke, and George Russell was quick to highlight the benefits of this transition. Russell believes that Hamilton’s move will ignite a new spark within Mercedes. He stressed that it’s the right time for Hamilton to leave, avoiding what could have been a more challenging scenario had Hamilton departed after the controversial 2021 season finale against Max Verstappen.
“It’s a fresh start for the team,” Russell shared with the Daily Mail. “So many people here have shared success with Lewis, but change often ignites a new spark for everyone. It does that for Lewis, and it sparks that for us here next year. It is good that Lewis is leaving us now, rather in 2021, when it would have been difficult for the whole team.”
Since the dramatic end of the 2021 season, Mercedes has been striving to launch a new title challenge against Red Bull in F1’s ground effect era, effective from 2022. Despite their efforts, Mercedes is yet to secure a podium finish in the F1 2024 season. Russell candidly described the team’s missteps with the W15 car but expressed confidence in the direction under technical director James Allison’s leadership.
“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,” said Russell. “It was all at the rear and is now all at the front. The problem is that the changes we made were too much. It was in the right direction, but we carried on going and overshot. It shows there is always a compromise. We have a great team and have other great people joining. And we have James back at the helm and he’s letting nothing slide. There’s clear leadership.”
As Mercedes battles in the F1 2024 development war, Russell remained optimistic about the two-part W15 upgrade introduced in Miami and Imola, noting improvements. However, he acknowledged that competitors like McLaren and Ferrari have also made significant progress.
“The car is definitely more balanced through the lap now,” Russell commented during the Monaco Grand Prix. “We were struggling a lot at the start of the year, balancing the high- to low-speed corners. And I think we have made progress. When you look at the gap to Red Bull, when you look at the gap to the rest of the midfield, we have moved forward. But I do think it’s fair to say Ferrari and McLaren have moved forward at the same rate. So we need to keep on working, bringing those upgrades to the car. And the whole team are working flat out right now to bring those upgrades as quick as possible.”
Currently, Mercedes is in the fourth position in the F1 2024 Constructors’ standings, trailing behind McLaren by 88 points.
Hamilton’s departure from Mercedes marks a significant shift, but George Russell views this as a moment of opportunity and rejuvenation for the team. With ongoing upgrades and a renewed sense of purpose, Mercedes aims to climb the standings and reclaim their competitive edge.
Source: Planetf1
