George Russell is making waves since he started driving for Mercedes at the Sakhir GP. He was a late stand-in for his British counterpart, Lewis Hamilton, who fell foul to the deadly Coronavirus. He was outclassing his teammate to lead most of the race before a problem in the pits cost him the win.

This has led many to believe that he could possibly beat seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton in the same car. However, former F1 Race winner and the younger Schumacher, Ralf, is on hand to debunk this myth. He is of the view that if the two were to go toe-to-toe as teammates, Hamilton would outclass Russell.

Alluding to his consistency over the past seasons, he said, “The car is of course superior, but I would estimate that Russell would not have a chance in direct comparison with Hamilton. Lewis is just an incredibly consistent driver and in a class of his own.”

George Russell – The perfect choice to replace Hamilton

Although the German doesn’t think he can beat Lewis now, he rates the Williams driver very highly. Believing that he has all the makings of a future World Champion, he sees him as the ideal fit to replace the 35-year-old veteran in the future.

“Russell has the talent to get closer to Hamilton next year, and I think we’ll see a future world champion then.

“Russell has huge potential, he has speed, and from my point of view, he is the future for Mercedes. Because Mercedes also has to think about the time after Hamilton. I imagine Russell would be the perfect choice (to replace him).”

The only person within the Silver Arrows who won’t be too pleased to hear all this is Valtteri Bottas. He has been playing second fiddle all these years, and now his race seat is genuinely under threat.

The Finn is under contract for next season, but by the looks of it, Russell may get a drive with Mercedes sooner than later. Seeing him and Hamilton will be mouthwatering prospects for the fans. It’ll be the only way to find out if there’s truly a new sheriff in town or if Lewis is still the man.