The Japanese Grand Prix has concluded and Mercedes is not feeling so great with their performance. The Silver Arrows had a P7 George Russell and P9 Lewis Hamilton finish which is just devastating for the 8 time consecutive Constructors champions. However, there was one unusual incident on the track that was noticed towards the earlier stages of the race.

Lewis Hamilton, known to need his road, has had the teammate move out of his way to give him the lead many times. This was the case with Bottas and it’s the same with Russell. It was just last year at the Japanese Grand Prix when Hamilton and Russell went neck to neck with each other trying to score points, but this year, the story is completely different.

Lewis Hamilton makes way for George Russell

The 7-time world champion has been out of his game ever since Mercedes stopped producing a competitive car. This can be seen with the team’s and drivers’ position in the pecking order. It feels like things are all down for Lewis Hamilton as he made a move that surprised everyone. Around the 14th lap, Lewis Hamilton realized that his car was not up to the mark and that he would only be in the way of George Russell if he continued to race.

After realizing that George Russell’s car was faster than his on the track, Lewis Hamilton made the call to give his teammate the lead. This swap disappointed many fans who are still rooting for Lewis Hamilton to win his 8th title. However, George Russell was displaying a better pace on his hard tyres which is why the team followed through Lewis Hamilton’s plans.

Ultimately the team agreed it would be better to let George Russell pass and the call was made. This stirred some drama on X with fans being unhappy with the team’s decision. After posting the update on X, a comment disagreed with the team’s decision. To which the team simply replied, “Lewis suggested it.”

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This comes off as the team avoiding responsibility for the decision, but in the end, it was Hamilton who asked if he should let George Russell pass. However, we all know that both the Mercedes drivers are in the W15, and with George Russell outperforming Lewis Hamilton on a regular basis, does that mean he is currently better than the 7-time world champion?

Why does George Russell shine brighter than Lewis Hamilton in the W15?

To be honest, this is a mystery that even Toto Wolff has been trying to figure out. Lewis Hamilton is unhappy with the car and after being delivered a winning car for years at an end, the recent cars have been quite difficult to drive. George Russell is still getting used to the feel of a Formula One car, so he has no reference to get used to.

The new changes in the regulations have impacted the game majorly with its budget cap and Lewis Hamilton is finding it difficult to adjust to the more restricted car. While this is a possibility, it’s not the full truth. There are speculations of the Briton being handed a more experimental car than George Russell as a test for the 2025 season.

Lewis Hamilton broke Mercedes’ heart by moving to a rival team and maybe the new setups are the team’s way of getting the most out of the world champion. On the other hand, there are speculations of Hamilton just being off his prime which is the reason why he is not performing like he used to. Although these are all valid reasons why Russell is finishing better than Hamilton, all these factors may play a role in the dethroning of the Mercedes champion.

That being said, what do you believe is the reason that George Russell is outshining Lewis Hamilton this season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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