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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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Formula 1 Editor Somin Bhattacharjee fell for the sport as well as Fernando Alonso on the same day — during the Spaniard’s thrilling victory at the German GP in 2010. Over the years, the passion magnified manyfold, and metamorphosed into a writing career in 2021. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. He has penned over 2,700 articles for TheSportsRush, presenting a diverse range — news reports, opinions, and exclusives. A true Tiffosi, Somin never gives up on a chance to defend the Ferrari boys as a fan. As a sports writer though, he remains objective to the core and relishes opportunities to follow and engage in dissecting the action during races. That’s where the real thrill lies for him. Beyond the racetrack, Somin plays different sports including soccer. He enjoys exploring other sporting events and proudly supports Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.

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