F1 expert Peter Windsor believes Mercedes needs either Lewis Hamilton or George Russell, but not both at the same time. Although both British drivers were keen to perform well and take both the team and themselves forward, this exacting determination on the part of both was something that Windsor saw as bad for Mercedes.
Windsor explained that a team only needs one of the two drivers, as having Russell and Hamilton on the same side would create an imbalance.
“I just go back to my point which is… if you have Lewis, you don’t really need George. If you have George, you don’t need Lewis. “They are an unbalanced team, always have been, always will be and that is their problem,” he said on his YouTube channel.
Windsor then gave the example of the Red Bull driver lineup of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. He explained how Red Bull found balance when Perez did not perform as well as Verstappen, but the Mexican driver was still capable of winning important points and podiums for the team. Windsor further explained that Valtteri Bottas was good for Mercedes because he never seriously challenged Lewis Hamilton but still worked hard for the team.
If you have a Max, you don’t need George in the other car, you need a Perez,” he said. “That’s why Red Bull is so good, one of the reasons they are so good. You don’t necessarily need someone better than Perez because Max is there. Similarly, we have Lewis, so you don’t need George – you need Valtteri. And that’s the problem.”
It is clear that both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell would want to clinch a world championship if and when Mercedes develops a winning car. This could cause problems as both could fight extremely hard for the title, ultimately hurting the team’s cause.
Lewis Hamilton takes a subtle dig at George Russell for being far behind in the drivers’ championship standings.
During the 2023 F1 Japanese GP, George Russell prevented Lewis Hamilton from passing, despite it being team orders.Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz was already closing in on Hamilton, causing both Mercedes drivers problems. After a few laps, Russell gave the position to Hamilton.
After the race, the seven-time world champion stated that his main focus was to beat Ferrari and score as many points for his team as possible.Furthermore, Lewis Hamilton stated that George Russell and he are not fighting for positions in the drivers’ championship; firstly because they are not close to each other and secondly as the two are not fighting for the top spot.
“We are not fighting for drivers’ positions in the championship. Because, firstly we are not close, and secondly we are not fighting for the [drivers’ championship’s top spot]. So, now it’s about just getting the maximum points for the team, and I think that’s what we did there,” Hamilton insisted.
While Lewis Hamilton finished fifth at Suzuka, George Russell finished seventh.