Could George Russell’s Mercedes F1 Entry Kickstart Lewis Hamilton’s Exit?

Mercedes has dominated Formula One in recent years, with Lewis Hamilton at the helm and Valtteri Bottas supporting him. Ahead of the 2022 season, the Silver Arrows have chosen ‘one of their own’, George Russell, to replace Bottas.

George Russell joined the Mercedes Junior Programme at the age of 17. Since then, many have touted him to be Mercedes’ next Lewis Hamilton. Rob Kamphues believes Russell will take things over from Hamilton within the first six months.

Mercedes has of course already chosen Russell: Kamphues

Rob Kamphues, along with Dutch driver Jeroen Bleekemolen, analyzed the ten teams for Formula 1 Magazine ahead of the new season. And Kamphues believes Russell will take over the throne in just six months. Performing under pressure to compete in the Championship requires confidence and guts. According to him, Russell already has these ingredients in the store.

He cited an example from Netflix’s ‘Drive to Survive’ to showcase this point. The Dutchman stated, “In a debrief at Williams, you see his teammate Robert Kubica and all the engineers quietly meeting with headphones on. And suddenly that little English guy stands up: ‘Now we have to listen to each other and work together, because that’s not how we get there.'”

Kamphues believes that it takes some time to establish one’s authority in a team like Mercedes. He also conveyed that the young British driver must perform first to gain the team’s attention.

WATCH THIS STORY – From Lewis Hamilton to the Miz: When F1 & WWE Crossed Over

He added, “I therefore expect that after that first half at Mercedes we will see that he will help Hamilton to the end of his career. Because Mercedes has of course already chosen Russell. Otherwise they would have let Valtteri Bottas sit next to Hamilton.”

Will George Russell challenge Lewis Hamilton?

Rob Kamphues thinks that Mercedes has chosen Russell, keeping in mind Hamilton’s age. The seven-time world champion is currently 37 and still has only few years left in him.

He said, “Mercedes just said: we’re going for the young guard, because Hamilton will stop in one or two years. 

After his impressive stint with Williams, many believe that the 24-year-old is ready to challenge Hamilton for the World Championship.

Lewis Hamilton also believes that Russell is a potential World Championship candidate and insisted that the competition will improve both of them. However, Kamphues doubts whether Hamilton will still have a seat after this season.

He added, “Hamilton has also said that his mission will be to make Russell the next British world champion. Yes, yes… The only question is whether he has a hand in that himself.”

George Russell has the backing and the potential to be a World Champion with Mercedes. Will the sky-high expectations elevate him or will it be too much? Only time will tell.

ALSO READ – Lewis Hamilton Divulges Problems With Racing Against Verstappen – “Max is Aggressive As H*ll”