Despite Banging Wheels, George Russell Embraces Mick Schumacher While Divulging About His Importance for Mercedes

The journey of Mick Schumacher so far has been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride, with arguably more downs than ups. At the end of last year, the German driver was let go from team Haas. But more recently, he finished the ROC championship with a second-place trophy. However, the biggest turning point in his career was possibly his appointment at Mercedes as a reserve driver. As the 23-year-old driver joined the Silver Arrows team, spectators and the F1 community could see how warmly the German driver is being treated. One of the team’s main drivers, George Russell, has welcomed Mick with open arms, forgetting their strife at the 2022 Singapore Grand Prix.

Fans will see the 23-year-old in the stunning black outfit assisting the Silver Arrows in their simulator training. During his stay with the team, Schumacher may also benefit from the wise counsel of legend and veteran Lewis Hamilton. However, how Schumacher and George Russell may work together has the fan’s attention. Given their kerfuffle at Singapore GP, this thought is only natural. At Marina Bay Street, Russell drove at the side of Schumacher, receiving a puncher. In the end, Russell finished P14, right behind Mick Schumacher. The initial chase during the race even made Russell, on his team radio, say, “Schumacher’s defending like it’s the race of his life, crikey!” 

However, the young Briton seems to have changed his tuning with Schumacher and is welcoming the German driver with a broad smile. As per Motorsports.com Turkey, Russell said, “Every team does things a little differently and you have to be open to change, to improvement. Obviously, Mick spent two years in Formula 1 with a different team, a different engine. They do things differently. I’m sure there are things there that will be useful to us.” [Translated using Google]

Adding further, Russell said, “But I think the part where Mick will be most useful for us will be the F1 information in the simulator. We have some really great simulator drivers, but a lot of them haven’t driven F1 cars before.”

READ MORE: Mick Schumacher’s Misfortunes Opens George Russell’s Eyes to the Dark Side of F1: “No One Gave Two Damns”

The dynamic among the Mercedes drivers seems to be in a great place. However, the relationship between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell is what really intrigues the viewers.

George Russell discusses how a poor working relationship with Lewis Hamilton could be detrimental to the team

W-13’s lack of competitiveness due to its porpoising problems largely caused Mercedes’ fall in the previous season. However, despite these difficulties, the team managed to score one victory, which was taken home by George Russell at the Brazilian Grand Prix. The victory at the Sao Paulo circuit brought excitement to the entire Mercedes team, but notably to Sir Lewis Hamilton, who was evidently much more overjoyed by his partner’s victory.

In light of this, the former Williams driver explains why his relationship with Hamilton is successful as well as, intriguingly. Talking to Auto Motor Und Sport, Russell drew a parallel between his relationship with Lewis and what was there during the Silver War. He said, “Lewis and I, it worked because we know we’re moving the team forward together rather than against each other. If there were problems with driver pairings in the past, it was perhaps also because the age difference was smaller, and there was a fight for supremacy in the team. We don’t have that.

In addition, the younger Briton thinks it wouldn’t be beneficial for the squad if his relationship with Hamilton collapses. He added, “If the good relationship with Lewis were to break down, it wouldn’t do the team any good and hurt ourselves over time.”

WATCH THIS STORY: Lewis Hamilton Finds Himself in an Unusual Situation With His Teammate for the First Time Since 2007

Having said that, do you think the Mercedes duo can reclaim the championship with the improved W-14?