Will the seven-time champion stay at Mercedes post-2023? Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton are a pairing that’s used to being the talk of the town, especially when it comes to their on-track performances. But the past couple of seasons have been nothing short of a nightmare for them, and the only talks coming out of Brackley recently being about Hamilton’s contract extension. That’s what almost everyone at Mercedes has on their minds, but its trackside engineering director, Andrew Shovlin, isn’t one of them. Instead of thinking about ‘what can be,’ Shovlin is instead focusing on ‘what will be.’ And that involves the championship-material 25-year-old George Russell.

George Russell made his way into Formula 1 using a PowerPoint presentation to convince Toto Wolff of his talent. Obviously impressed, Wolff ensured the young Brit got a seat at Williams in 2019 after winning the 2018 F2 championship. After his promotion to Mercedes in 2022, he achieved the unthinkable. He out-scored Hamilton in his first season at the team and, in the process, handed Mercedes its only win in the past two seasons at the Brazilian GP. With Hamilton’s Mercedes future still in limbo, Russell is undoubtedly the future of the Brackley squad, which is why Shovlin has put his faith in the youngster.

In an interview, as quoted by Formula Passion.it, Shovlin said, “George is an extremely professional driver who is working very, very hard. And he’s one of those who will undoubtedly win a championship sooner or later, as long as we can get him a suitable car.” [Translated by Google] A suitable and competitive car is what Mercedes has failed to deliver since Russell joined the team. Even so, he managed a race win amidst Red Bull dominance and has squeezed out a few podiums.

Learning Nothing From Toto Wolff’s Brutal Fracture, George Russell Suffers “Bruises” During F1 Summer Break Adventure

Shovlin added, “We are obviously working hard to achieve this, but George is a very technical rider who adapts well to the different conditions. He is super focused on his work, and there is no doubt that he will be part of our successes in the future.” While Russell did outperform Hamilton last season, the tides seem to have changed in 2023, and another Mercedes mastermind revealed why.

Lewis Hamilton has the upper hand on George Russell as of now

Since the 2023 season started, Mercedes has struggled to understand its W14 properly. With frequent upgrades coming now and then, the W14’s erratic performances are adding to the confusion. From the looks of it, it seems like the confusion and discomfort have seeped through to Russell because, according to CTO Mike Elliott, the changes have made the car difficult to drive.

Elliott explained, “I think these cars are difficult to drive. They’re difficult to drive when they’re close to the ground. And it’s difficult to find the right balance in the corner. And it’s difficult to deal with the stiffness of the cars. George is a fantastic driver. I’m sure that George will get what he needs to get out of the car pretty quickly. These cars want to be aerodynamically close to the ground, so if you run them close to the ground, you have to drive them stiff.” Russell doesn’t seem to like the stiffness too much, but as Elliott said, it’s only a matter of time before he gets used to it.

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Watch This Story: Lewis Hamilton Gets Past Flashbacks Against George Russell at the 2023 Spanish GP

How soon do you think George Russell will get to fight for a championship?