Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes may face final season misery after George Russell admission

Lewis Hamilton is entering his final season as a Mercedes driver before his blockbuster switch to Ferrari, though team-mate George Russell believes it could be a difficult year

Lewis Hamilton has been cautioned that he could potentially experience another season filled with unhappiness during his last year with Mercedes.

The British driver has achieved victory in six out of seven world championships while driving for the Silver Arrows. However, he has faced challenges after controversially losing to Max Verstappen in the last race of 2021.

Hamilton has failed to secure a victory in any Grand Prix in the past two seasons and has consistently criticized the performance of his Mercedes vehicle. His dissatisfaction prompted him to agree to a deal with Ferrari starting in 2025, indicating that his current year with the German team will be his final one.

George Russell, a fellow Mercedes driver, has suggested that there may be more difficulties in the upcoming season. Russell participated in the first day of pre-season testing in Bahrain, where Verstappen was the standout performer.

Russell stated that the team currently has strong momentum and they began implementing new regulations quickly.

Since arriving, they have performed consistently well. Russell believes they are the clear favorites for the day’s events.

“They are clearly more advanced than anyone else in Bahrain. Their performance during the winter has been remarkable.

It was anticipated, considering their impressive team and equipment. We must wait and see how we measure up in the upcoming races.”

Russell ended up 12th after the first day of running with a fastest time of 1.34.509 after completing 122 laps. That left him a mammoth three seconds adrift of Verstappen, though little can be read into those times.

Hamilton drove the car on the second day, but there was an interruption when a drain cover became loose and caused damage to the vehicle. Although Hamilton has criticized Mercedes’ designs in the past, Russell is happy with the car they have made for this season.

“Today was exciting to finally drive the W15 aggressively for the first time. As soon as we started, it felt like we were starting from a solid base.

We managed to do many laps and now have a large amount of data to review tonight,” he said.

At the end of the day, we were in a decent position, and we can use this as a starting point for the next two days.

Our main goal will be to maximize the distance covered for educational purposes, rather than trying to find the perfect setup for the car. In general, the W15 provides a better driving experience compared to the previous year’s model.

Although speed is the most important factor, today’s focus was on gaining knowledge rather than improving performance.

“We are concentrating on our performance during this test, and we will not know how we compare to the competition until next week. The first day went well, and I am eager to get back in the car on Friday.”