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“Little Chink in His Armor”: Red Bull Veteran Warns George Russell of Lewis Hamilton’s Threat as the Tide Starts to Turn in Mercedes’ Battle

Published 06/07/2023, 6:30 AM EDT

What does Lewis Hamilton‘s and Mercedes‘ resurgence in the Spanish GP mean to George Russell? In the 2022 season, despite being F1’s most successful driver of all time, having won seven world championships and a record 103 Grand Prix wins, Hamilton didn’t win a race after 2021. On the other hand, George Russell beat Hamilton in their first season together and reached a level playing field with Formula 1’s most successful driver. However, with the upgrades working so beautifully, he’s far more comfortable than George Russell. So what?

Never forget the capabilities of the 7-time world championship, when given the right car. Remember how Hamilton dominated F1 with back-to-back championships in Mercedes’ turbo-hybrid era? But since 2022, without a winning car, Mercedes went into damage control mode. However, with upgrades providing the car they dreamed of, Mercedes will be back to its winning ways, and soon the Mercedes duo will fight amongst themselves for points.

However, when it reaches that point, the Silver Arrows will take matters into their own hands, and support the better driver. After all, we know what teammate rivalry could do to a team- see the 2016 Hamilton v Rosberg wheel-to-wheel battles. Can Russell take it up a notch before it’s too late, he can secure a better chance at the Brackley-based team?

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Assessing the young Briton’s chances against Hamilton, Ex-F1 driver David Coulthard said, as quoted by Motorsportweek, “George has still got a little chink in his armor. That late movement in qualifying where they had contact, if you remember he’s had some little drop-the-ball moments. He’s not the complete finished article yet. He’s pretty close. But Lewis Hamilton when he’s back, he’s back.”

In a Close 2023 Fight, George Russell’s Competitive Goals Cited to Influence His Dangerous Move Against Lewis Hamilton: “Closed the Door”

Looks like Hamilton is all ready to back because, from silver to gold, the 38-year-old is aiming for a ‘mega’ after the Spanish Grand Prix.

‘we can challenge them’: Lewis Hamilton sets lofty goals after silver in Spain

Mercedes seemed to have taken a step forward in Barcelona. On race day, Hamilton emerged as Verstappen’s nearest challenger from P5, while Russell put on a scintillating performance as he weaved his way to a third-place finish from a lowly 12th on the grid. No doubt, this was their best finish of the season by a country mile and their first double podium of 2023.

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At the German racing stable, however, there is not yet the hope that the team will just compete for victories. Therefore, even after ‘silver in Spain’, the seven-time world champion remains realistic, as he knows that the Red Bulls may already be focused on next year’s car due to the dominance of Red Bull Racing.

However, Hamilton left no doubt of his hunger and commitment to both Mercedes and F1. So during the post-race press conference, the Briton said: “With the current car we have, I don’t think we can match their performance. I know we have something in the pipeline for the future, so I’m hoping that maybe by the end of the year, we can have a challenge. I’m more focused on making sure we have a car from day one next year that we can challenge them with.”

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Watch this story: Lewis Hamilton’s Dating Rumors with Shakira Fueled Further after a Stellar Podium for the 7X Champion

Mercedes’ double podium in Spain saw them jump into the Constructors Championship to move into second place with 152 points – 135 points behind leader Red Bull.

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Written by:

Madhu Nandigala is an F1 writer at EssentiallySports with a passion for telling compelling stories. She holds a degree in Journalism and constantly looks for new ways to expand her knowledge and share untold tales from the world of sports. Madhu's fascination with sports began during her childhood.

Edited by:

Varunkumaar Chelladurai

“Little Chink in His Armor”: Red Bull Veteran Warns George Russell of Lewis Hamilton’s Threat as the Tide Starts to Turn in Mercedes’ Battle

‘we can challenge them’: Lewis Hamilton sets lofty goals after silver in Spain

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