The Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes contract saga has gone on for what seems like ages. Over the course of the past couple of months, there have been numerous people speculating, opining, criticizing and doing everything else they could with the topic. However, it finally seems like this long chapter is finally drawing to a positive end.

A recent report has emerged which not only suggests that Hamilton will sign on with the team but also provides details of the alleged contract. The two biggest takeaways from the report are that Hamilton will continue on for 2 years, and that he will have a say in who his teammate will be. And considering how much Hamilton loves Verstappen, people have dubbed it the ‘Verstappen clause.’

Now, fans of George Russell may look at this deal with suspicion. After all, Russell has long been touted to make the move to the Silver Arrows in 2022. However, before jumping to any conclusions, it’s worth seeing why this deal could actually benefit Russell instead.

The new deal for Lewis Hamilton could be a boon rather than a bane for George Russell

Firstly, Russell can be rest assured that he’ll eventually end up at Mercedes. There is little to no threat of him being poached by Ferrari or Red Bull since both these teams have their driver lineups secured for the next few years.

This would mean that Russell can make a gradual step up rather than a massive one by moving to a mid-field team. Competing in the mid-field, week in and week out, would make Russell a more competitive and well-rounded driver. He could then move to Mercedes on Hamilton’s contract expiry.

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Secondly, if Hamilton does choose Verstappen over him, it could actually benefit Russell in the long run. Assuming he does indeed move to Mercedes in the future, he’d have to compete against the very best in equal machinery. Going against Verstappen in every race could bring the best out of the Briton and could see him achieve incredible consistency.

Thirdly, there’s the aspect of the new regulations that come into play from 2022. While it’s rather unlikely, there is a chance that the aero regulations decrease Mercedes’ advantage. Who knows, perhaps the German team could lose their domination over the grid. Would Russell then want to race for a team that’s not the best? Especially when he could instead choose the team who has bettered them.

So for Russell and his fans, things aren’t as gloomy as they seem. But instead of letting Hamilton’s contract deter his focus, George would want to showcase to Hamilton why he deserves to be racing alongside him and not Verstappen.

Can the Williams man make Hamilton change his mind? We shall soon find out.

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