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“I’m picking him over George Russell”: Ex F1 driver feels Mercedes would have fared better with Lando Norris alongside Lewis Hamilton in 2022

Somin Bhattacharjee
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"I'm picking him over George Russell": Ex F1 driver feels Mercedes would have fared better with Lando Norris alongside Lewis Hamilton in 2022

Jolyon Palmer feels that having Lando Norris as Lewis Hamilton’s partner at Mercedes would have been a better choice. 

After months of speculation, Russell’s long-awaited move to Mercedes was finally announced last September. He replaces Valtteri Bottas at the team, who joins Alfa Romeo racing after spending 6 seasons with the Silver Arrows.

Russell will partner up with 7-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton in 2022. 2021 was a great year for the young Brit. He scored 16 of the 23 points Williams earned last year, and also took his maiden podium finish in Belgium.

He earned plaudits for his qualifying performances in particular when he took his FW43B into Q3 multiple times over the course of the year.

In spite of his strong outings, former Renault driver Jolyon Palmer feels there was a better alternative for Mercedes to replace Bottas. The 30-year-old picked McLaren star Lando Norris as his preferred choice.

Norris himself had a stellar 2021 campaign, especially in the first half of the year. He stood on the podium 4 times and was also set for his maiden F1 win in Russia before an unfortunate strategy goof-up saw him tumble down to 7th.

Also read: George Russell reveals the good impact the former world champion has had on the Williams team

The way Lando Norris held off Lewis Hamilton in Russia was ‘legendary’

In the recent episode of F1: Chequered Flag, host Jack Nicholls shared his thoughts on the Russell-Hamilton pairing at Mercedes.

“If I’m Mercedes and I have a free choice in that second seat alongside Hamilton, I think I’m picking Norris over Russell after this year,” he said. Palmer agreed to what Nicholls said, citing Norris’ Russian GP performance as an example to support the statement.

“I’m going with Jack on it, I’m going with Lando,” the ex-F1 driver said. “The way that he held off Lewis Hamilton at the end of that Sochi race until the strategy and the tyre choice got away from him, was unbelievable.”

“For a guy that has never won a race to have a seven-time World Champion breathing down his neck in a Mercedes.”

“Then it starts raining, and he’s still off the road a couple of times, scrabbling around, but keeping Hamilton, we all know how good he is in the wet, behind him. It was really legendary stuff I think from Norris.” Palmer concluded.

Also read: Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko wants the new FIA president to strengthen the rules in F1

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Basketball Editor Somin Bhattacharjee first discovered the game during the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Not long after, he turned to the NBA and found himself drawn to the Golden State Warriors — right at the start of Stephen Curry’s rise. Over time, the admiration turned into full-blown support for the team, one that continues even as the Curry era approaches its twilight. A true hoophead, Somin also follows EuroLeague basketball closely and enjoys exploring the game beyond the NBA. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. Since 2021, he has penned over 3,000 articles for TheSportsRush, covering everything from breaking news to sharp opinion pieces and detailed exclusives. He thrives on writing about in-game moments and the reactions that make basketball a uniquely emotional sport. Beyond basketball, Somin plays different sports including soccer and remains a passionate fan of Spanish football giants Real Madrid

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