Lewis Hamilton’s Hopes of Retiring on a High Given Cruel Reality Check: “George Is Going to Be There…”

Lewis Hamilton found himself wheel-to-wheel with his 2007 McLaren teammate at the Belgian GP, and boy did it reignite an age-old rivalry. Unfortunately for the Brit, he came out second best to Fernando Alonso, who locked horns with the Mercedes and put its star under fire with his on-radio remarks.

After coming back from the summer break, Lewis Hamilton was in high spirits to cause havoc in the season’s remainder. However, the shortcomings of the W13 prevented him from achieving his ambitions as he faced a torrid weekend that concluded with 0 points. On the other side of the garage, George Russell came home in P4 and scored an invaluable 12 points for the German constructor.

The theme this weekend seems to be the former McLaren drivers criticizing Lewis Hamilton, as, in a podcast, the driver once renowned as ‘The Flying Finn‘ commented on the Brit dropping the ball this season.

Mika Hakkinen said, “Yeah, I think, 100% sure he is looking for next year. But you cannot slow down, you cannot just expect the way the Mercedes does just a fantastic car next year. It is not guaranteed. So what I am trying to say is that young George Russell, he is working flat out at the moment, that way he can be in front of Lewis.” 

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“So if Lewis slowing down half a tenth, one-tenth of a second, then George is going to be there immediately. So, this is a very hard business and you’ve to be on peak at every single lap. Every weekend when you race, you have to be at your peak and that is not easy, I tell you. It’s a super challenge, a lot of, it takes so much energy.” 

How George Russell has the upper hand over Lewis Hamilton

The race at Spa-Francorchamps was one to forget for the Mercedes, as the low-downforce circuit really exposed its Achilles heel. Both drivers, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, massively struggled to keep the car under control in the corners and the team faced its worst qualifying in 10 years.

Even though the 37-year-old out qualified the 24-year-old young gun, the knighted Brit failed to perform on the day when the points are awarded. The crash with Fernando Alonso saw car number 44 retire on the opening lap and its pilot take the walk of shame back to the pits with his head hanging in disbelief.

This meant that the hopes of the Brackley outfit rested on car number 63 to help them take home some points from a weekend full of woes at the Belgian GP. Russell used the same weapon that has given him triumph all season long, consistency.

Notably, consistency is the unsung trait of the seven-time world champion that has helped him achieve all his accolades. However, in the 2022 season, the up-and-coming Brit has stolen the page from Hamilton’s playbook; which also assisted him in stealing the veteran’s limelight.

With 14 races concluded in the season, George Russell has finished all the races in the top 5, except the DNF at the British GP. This has seen him establish a 24-point lead over the F1 legend.

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Who do you think would end higher in the standings at the end of the season, Hamilton or Russell? Let us know.