The current Formula One season has not been without its share of intriguing developments, and the evolving power dynamic between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell at Mercedes has been the focus of much debate.
Peter Windsor, an experienced motorsport figure and former manager at Ferrari and Williams, recently drew attention to the delicate balance within Mercedes on his YouTube channel. He speculated that if it had been up to Lewis Hamilton, George Russell might not be in the Mercedes cockpit.
According to Windsor, seven-time world champion Hamilton has been vocal about his desire to continue with former team-mate Valtteri Bottas and has urged team principal Toto Wolff to keep him beyond 2021.
Hamilton had forged a harmonious relationship with Bottas and their synergy produced an era of formidable performances. They managed to maintain a professional camaraderie, respecting each other’s pace and working together to further the team’s ambitions, in contrast to the palpable tension that now exists between Hamilton and Russell.
Of course, Bottas may have been more comfortable playing second fiddle to Hamilton in a team clearly biased towards the British ‘darling’ of the team, wingman issues aside. Russell, on the other hand, seems more ambitious, perhaps sensing a former multiple F1 champion in the twilight of his career and perhaps even his abilities.
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New equation
Despite Hamilton’s preference, Toto Wolff, looking for new blood and foreseeing the next generation of drivers, opted to bring George Russell into the Mercedes line-up, leaving Bottas to find refuge with Alfa Romeo, where his performances have unfortunately been less than stellar.
Windsor’s observations after the Japanese Grand Prix shed light on the constant speculation surrounding Mercedes’ driver choices.
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He said: “The point is that this also has to be seen in the context of Lewis endlessly telling Toto to keep Valtteri… [Toto says] ‘No, no, no, we’ve got to have the next generation, George is the next generation, and faster’.
According to Windsor, the media played a significant role in shaping perceptions of Bottas’ pace compared to Russell’s, which may have influenced Mercedes’ internal decisions. Windsor emphasised the inherent imbalance in having both Hamilton and Russell in the same team, arguing that each is strong enough to lead the team, making the presence of the other superfluous.
He explained: “If you’ve got Lewis, you don’t really need George. If you’ve got George, you don’t need Lewis. It’s an unbalanced team, always has been, always will be, and that’s the problem with it…”
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On-track spats
Despite their public support for one another, Hamilton and Russell have had their fair share of on-track skirmishes, with the Japanese GP being the latest venue for their tense encounters.
The friction between the two contrasts sharply with the smoother dynamic between Hamilton and Bottas, who, despite being rivals, have worked together to advance the team’s goals and supported each other throughout their journey.
The discourse surrounding Mercedes’ driver dynamics raises crucial questions about team harmony and the optimal configurations required for sustained success. It remains to be seen how the Hamilton-Russell partnership evolves, and whether Mercedes can channel the energies of its two skilled drivers into a constructive synergy to continue its F1 legacy.
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Bernie Ecclestone was in many ways a visionary as he galvanised the Formula One teams to form a collective back known as the Formula One Teams Association (FOCA) back in 1974.
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Well at least we can see one hack is bitter and resentful towards Lewis.
How many issues have the pair had? You’d count them on one hand and far from George being asked to defer to Lewis for the sake of it, try using real journalism, refer to strategy and who picked what.
Refer to race pace, last time out even by George’s own radio admission Lewis’s speed through the chicanes was faster but the actual data shows it, the vast gap at the end between them shows it.
It just appears that where George can pass anyone, or defend, where any driver can, if Lewis does he’s in the wrong.
Also, how is it one alone is necessary? Teams are two driver teams not one and as well as either has done, without the pair they’d be a way off their position.
Lewis and Rosberg was far more contentious and with less ramping up in the media. Perhaps because he was alright then in so far as if right now it’s all Max and the car is a soapbox he’s making work, it’s harder to then say so if you say it’s the car alone about every driver when they win.
Now though the gloves are off.
Maybe we wait to see evidence of tension because every time it says Russell angry about, or Russell off if…it’s always “according to Windsor” who shockingly cites his experience at not Mercedes, not speaking to anyone there, not speaking to Russell or a friend or a hairdresser, just a vague idea he had.
Mercedes was only good because they unfairly had 3 years more development than any other team