Breaking News: Lewis Hamilton told he would lose TWO F1 … Read More
George Russell has sparked debate in the Formula 1 world after making bold comments about Lewis Hamilton’s reign at Mercedes during the sport’s hybrid era. The 26-year-old Brit, who joined Mercedes in 2022, suggested that had he been racing alongside Hamilton during the team’s dominant stretch from 2014 to 2021, he could have challenged — and potentially beaten — the seven-time world champion to some of his titles.
Hamilton, now 40, is widely regarded as one of the greatest drivers in F1 history. He secured six of his seven world titles during the hybrid engine era, when Mercedes was nearly unbeatable. His dominance over the grid and even over his teammates, including Nico Rosberg (who beat him only once in 2016), became a defining storyline of the era.
However, Russell has now hinted that things might have been different had he been part of that Mercedes lineup earlier. In a recent interview, he confidently claimed that if he had raced alongside Hamilton during those peak years, he would have won “at least a couple” of world championships. This statement indirectly implies that Hamilton’s total of seven titles could have been reduced, possibly to five, had Russell been there to compete with him under the same machinery.
Russell’s remarks appear to reflect his own growing confidence as he continues to establish himself in the Mercedes team. Since joining in 2022, he has been keen to prove that he belongs among the elite drivers on the grid. Though he has yet to mount a title challenge due to Mercedes’ recent struggles with car performance, he has impressed with his consistency and qualifying pace, often matching or outpacing Hamilton in difficult conditions.
While the comment was likely made with a competitive mindset, it has stirred discussion among fans and pundits about just how much of Hamilton’s success was due to the car, the timing, or his skill. It also opens up the age-old F1 debate: how much does a driver owe to the machine, and how much to their own talent?As both drivers continue into the 2025 season — with Hamilton set to move to Ferrari next year — all eyes will be on whether Russell can lead Mercedes back to winning ways and carve out his own legacy in the sport.
