As soon as the 2023 season started, Mercedes knew where it stood in the pecking order. To put it simply, it wasn’t in front. For another season, the Brackley outfit knew it would have to settle for a position behind Red Bull. But even Lewis Hamilton didn’t believe it could be for P2 in the championship. At the Japanese GP, he said, “We started off pretty poorly at the beginning of the season. Definitely didn’t expect ourselves to be second in the Constructors’ to now being relatively close and fighting in the Constructors’.” 

Considering Ferrari is right on its tail, you would think Mercedes would prioritize both its drivers. Well, that’s not exactly the case because George Russell was left to fend for himself in Suzuka. And Mercedes got called out for it.

It was George Russell versus Mercedes at the Japanese GP

The weekend prior to Japan, in Singapore, was a tough one for Russell. From fighting for the win to ending up in the barriers, he looked to make amends in Suzuka. Unfortunately for him and Mercedes, they couldn’t keep up the form from Singapore and could only manage to qualify in P7 and P8—Hamilton ahead of Russell. After both drivers started on medium tires, sparks were flying between them on the track. After a couple of almost collisions, Russell opted for an unconventional strategy to compete against his teammate and the others.

In Suzuka, where tire degradation was very high this year, Russell chose to do a one-stop race. It wasn’t the right strategy, and everyone knew it. Even so, Mercedes went ahead with the young Brit’s suggestion and sent him into a losing battle. In the race’s final stages, he was running in P5, with Hamilton and Carlos Sainz on newer tires chasing him. He seemed to be holding off his teammate even though Hamilton had DRS, and Hamilton was holding off Sainz. But Mercedes then instructed Russell to let Hamilton pass, which ended in Sainz getting past him as well.

Discussing this situation on BBC’s Chequered Flag Podcast, F1 broadcaster Harry Benjamin said, “George was on the wrong strategy at the end. One stop, tried to make it work and ran out of speed in the hard compound tire. He was a bit of a sitting duck.” Mercedes could’ve avoided the situation with Russell, but it didn’t. Benjamin further added, “They should’ve swapped them around quicker. As soon as Hamilton went through, he should’ve known right then and there, ‘Okay, I should stay with Russell, keep him within DRS, so that he can keep Sainz behind.’ By the time that message got relayed to Lewis, it was too late.” 

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Hamilton admitted that had he gotten ahead sooner, he would’ve created as big a gap to Sainz as possible, not sticking around to help Russell. Mercedes seemed to have a lot of inharmony during the race. After it, though, Russell and Hamilton were back on the same side.

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have one goal in mind

Following the almost disaster at Suzuka, the Mercedes boys have regrouped and know what they need to work towards—beating Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship. After the Japanese GP, the Scuderia is just 20 points adrift of the Brackley squad. Considering Charles Leclerc finished P4 and Sainz finished P6, they scored 4 more points than Mercedes. They also seem to have better momentum, especially after Sainz’s win in Singapore. Even so, Russell and Hamilton know they can outperform Ferrari for P2. 

After the race, Hamilton said, “Our ultimate goal is to beat the Ferraris in the Constructors’ Championship. That’s all that matters. We’re not fighting for a driver’s position in the championship. Now, it’s about just getting the maximum points for the team. I think that’s what we did here.” Echoing the seven-time champion’s words, Russell said, “At the end of the day, we need to score the maximum points possible. For me personally, the Driver’s Championship is totally out of the window this season. The objective is to finish P2 with the team ahead of Ferrari.”

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Do you feel Mercedes has been prioritizing Lewis Hamilton over George Russell?