Lewis Hamilton dominating F1 was a usual sight from 2014 to 2020, wherein he sealed six world titles on the bounce. His stint with Mercedes etched a new standard of dominance and got his championship tally to seven. However, his current teammate George Russell felt that Hamilton was just being ‘greedy’ to gain the satisfaction of getting more titles.
In a feature in September 2023 with his peers Lando Norris and Alex Albon on F1’s YouTube channel, Russell elaborated his views on how it is different for multiple drivers on how far they can compete in F1. Some get the chance to get wins every weekend and seal championships, while some like him at Williams struggle to score points for several races.
Russell stated, “Look at Lewis as an example. He wants more than 7 championships.” On this Norris and him unanimously quipped, “Greedy”. The #63 driver added, “That’s just not cool”. The 25-year-old also contrasted Max Verstappen’s current competitive position with themselves and satisfaction for him probably differs if he doesn’t win and finishes only 3rd or 5th.
George Russell has now finished ahead of Lewis Hamilton in the last 3 races pic.twitter.com/Q7VilJe2cJ
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) April 24, 2022
Even Norris and Albon agreed to this sentiment that Hamilton was in a position where he almost felt guaranteed to score points every weekend. After all, after completing 50 or 100 race wins (as Verstappen and Hamilton have), the novelty of getting a top 5 or a podium goes away.
Fittingly so, for Hamilton, he raised the benchmark to topple the championship record. Meanwhile, Russell has had a contrasting start to his career. After struggling to score a few points over one and a half seasons, the man from King’s Lynn scored 275 points in his Mercedes debut year. However, he still felt that not scoring points during his Williams stint was also good for his growth as a competitor.
George Russell had done the hard grind in F1
From chasing Lewis Hamilton for autographs back in his early F1 days to beating him in 2022 in the standings, George Russell did the full circle with his idol. It was a presentation to Toto Wolff that got Russell a shot at F1 and the ladder to Mercedes.
However, since then the 25-year-old has done a lot of grinding to reach his current level. After winning the junior formulas, he may not have expected a three-year stint with a backmarker team where he would have to prove his mettle. This is a stark contrast to how Hamilton’s F1 began, finishing just a point off the champion in his maiden year.
George Russell says he and Lewis Hamilton “trust one another” so any clashes in 2023 are explained by the sheer amount they “cross paths” on track
Full #F1 story ⬇️https://t.co/GFV7ZadSWW
— Motorsport.com (@Motorsport) December 30, 2023
Regardless, they are together now at the Silver Arrows, but Russell would again have had different expectations. He would have hoped to win races and championships just like Hamilton did for 8 years. However, the last 2 years have brought more struggle for Russell and Mercedes struggling in the new regulations of F1.
Still, the former Williams driver feels grateful that he has stepped up towards the front of the field. He even thanked Hamilton for “not retiring” from F1 after his 2021 heartbreak in Abu Dhabi. Russell did so because had Lewis left, he felt, “people would have been pointing the finger at me, saying ‘You’re the reason why we are not quick’.”
