“He will get worn down by the relentlessness of Lewis”– David Coulthard claims George Russell will turn into a man while competing with Lewis Hamilton.
Ask Fernando Alonso and Nico Rosberg, and they will mention that it is not an easy task to partner with Lewis Hamilton if you have your ambitions.
As the Briton is highly competitive, it would take a considerable level of determination to fight against him through the course of 20+ races. Now, with George Russell joining Mercedes, a level of competitiveness is expected.
A clash between the two generations, and David Coulthard believes that the battles between Russell and Hamilton will turn the former into a man, even if initially it will break him.
“It will be the making of George up against the driver of a couple of generations,” said Coulthard to Channel4. “This is where George Russell becomes the making of a future world champion. Because he hasn’t been pushed by any of his teammates, it will be very different with Lewis.”
“In the beginning, he will just be young and full of energy, he will be fresh and then he will get worn down by the relentlessness of Lewis, and that’s the point at which he will grow as a man.”
A start of a new era for Mercedes?
While Red Bull can consider having Max Verstappen for years, if they keep providing him with a competitive car, but same can’t be said about Hamilton with Mercedes.
The 36-year-old driver will have to retire sometime soon, so to level against Red Bull, it is the right time to have their most brilliant academy product to be prepared for the challenges in the post-Hamilton era.
Russell is a highly-rated driver, and in 2022 would make not only Hamilton’s job a bit tough but also of Verstappen, who is eyeing a championship win in the immediate future.
