George Russell and Lewis Hamilton have shared some intense battles since partnering up at Mercedes, both on track and in the standings.
Lewis Hamilton had the better of his team-mate throughout the 2023 season (Image: Getty)
Lewis Hamilton will beat George Russell in the Drivers’ Championship standings for the second season running in 2024, according to Express Sport readers. The seven-time world champion enjoyed the better of the team-mate battle at Mercedes in 2023.
When Russell arrived at Mercedes as Valtteri Bottas’ replacement ahead of the 2022 season, he was billed as a future world champion, and his one-off outing for the team at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix suggested that he had the potential to be a threat to his legendary team-mate right out of the blocks.
This transpired to be true as Russell finished in the top five at 15 of the first 16 races of the season, demonstrating staggering consistency. Hamilton, meanwhile, struggled with the unpredictable balance of the W13, while also taking a more experimental approach to race-day set-ups as Mercedes attempted to solve their extreme porpoising issues.
A first-ever Grand Prix victory arrived in Sao Paulo as Russell led home a one-two finish for the team before a mechanical DNF in Abu Dhabi sealed Hamilton’s fate in the head-to-head battle. When the chequered flag waved at the Yas Marina Circuit, the 25-year-old was 35 points clear of the seven-time world champion in the standings.
Despite this setback, Hamilton roared back in 2023, finishing in the top ten of every race in which he was classified as he sealed third place in the Drivers’ Championship with one round to spare. Russell, meanwhile, ended the year down in eighth place with just two podium finishes to his name following a messy campaign.
Following a survey of 5,791 Express Sport readers, 60 per cent believe that Russell will finish behind Hamilton again when the 2024 season comes to an end next December. Furthermore, 57 per cent of those questioned believe that he will never win a Drivers’ Championship title during his Mercedes career.
Russell has been self-aware regarding his struggles in 2023. Speaking to Motor Sport, he explained: “No doubt, it’s been probably the toughest season I’ve ever had psychologically. Bouncing back from missed opportunities, missed results, mistakes.
George Russell was beaten by Lewis Hamilton throughout the 2023 campaign (Image: Getty)
“I think this is when you push yourself. I could comfortably lift my foot off the gas pedal and drive a per cent below the limit and I could sit here right now and tell you that I wouldn’t make a single mistake.
“And probably when I sit through my Championship years, I probably wasn’t being pushed as much as I’m pushing myself now. I’m purposely trying to push myself further and beyond, and I’m not satisfied with just being on par with my team-mate in qualifying or whatever it may be.”
