Lewis Hamilton is experiencing a tough season so far. The British world champion is yet to showcase his talents behind the Mercedes W13, i.e. a car that is not close to challenging for the world championship. Hamilton, who has driven exceptional cars in the last few seasons, hasn’t been able to unlock the full potential of the W13.

Alternatively, George Russell, who has driven underperforming cars for Williams for three years, is using all the experience to extract the most out of his Mercedes challenger. His streak of top-five finishes (7) in 2022 is a testament to that dominance.

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Lewis Hamilton is not above George Russell says, former team owner

George Russell is the most consistent driver on the grid owing to his top-five record. Eddie Jordan, a former team owner, feels Russell’s performances showcase why he deserved the Mercedes seat. Jordan also believes he has knocked Hamilton off his team standing as well.

Sharing his views on the same, Jordan said, “Absolutely, I think the big surprise is, everybody globally, in Formula 1 context, thinks that Lewis Hamilton is top dog. But he’s no longer top dog, not even in that team because Russell has taken his perch away. And I think it’s very interesting to watch and I want to see how Lewis is going to overcome that.”

A statement Toto Wolff discredited and commented on about the shift in the team. He said, “And when I pick up one or two remarks, I can only smile about them. George is doing a good job, but that’s exactly what we expected of him, that’s why he’s with Mercedes.”

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is up next, and Hamilton has a positive track record. So far, Baku has hosted five races and the Mercedes driver has won one, been a runner-up once, and finished at p5 twice. The only blemish on his record came in the previous season with a P15 and Mercedes will be careful not to repeat that.

The criticism surrounding the seven-time world champion is exactly what he can use as extra motivation. Being a veteran, Hamilton will look to have an impressive showing on the streets of Azerbaijan to silence his critiques and solidify his spot in the team and on the grid.

Mercedes’ George Russell has a lot to learn

Russell is outperforming Hamilton currently, but Juan Pablo Montoya feels he still has a lot to learn from his teammate. The seven-time world champion can teach Russell how to manage race pace.

The Colombian said, “When Lewis is on his A-game, he’s hard. I think George can do a job on one lap but he’s got a lot to learn from Lewis on race pace.” 

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Russell should take this advice from a serial winner as he begins his Mercedes career.