“Relationship is 100%, Still Intact”- Lewis Hamilton Denies Rift With ‘Great Guy’ George Russell

There have been rumors swarming around the two British F1 drivers, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell since the latter stepped up for the former in Sakhir last season. Quite a lot claimed that Hamilton had been quite distant from the Williams driver since the race in Bahrain, and the relationship between the two had gone downhill drastically.

However, the 7-time world champion has finally opened up on the subject.

Hamilton denied such a dent in his relationship with Russell and clarified that it hasn’t changed a bit from how it was before the Sakhir GP.

What did Lewis Hamilton say?

As reported by The Sun, the Mercedes driver revealed that he still considers the 23-year-old a “great guy,” consequently putting an end to the rift rumors.

“Our relationship is 100 percent, still intact. It’s exactly the same. We messaged after his incident in Imola, and I hope you can see from the message I put on [social media] him so supportive of him,” he said.

“He’s going through his own journey, but he’s a great guy. He did a great job when he came to the team, and he’ll continue to do great jobs, so no issues.”

Ever since the dramatic Sakhir GP, it looked like Mercedes’ focus had shifted from Hamilton to the rising young talent, Russell. However, as things stand, the Stuttgart outfit are still demanding Hamilton’s services beyond the 2021 season.

Hence, it is highly likely that the seven-time world champion will remain at Mercedes. But the question is, will he receive a new teammate in Russell?

There are no hard feelings: Russell

Similar to Hamilton, Russell, too, opined the same about his relationship with the 36-year-old. “My relationship towards Lewis is the same as it is with a lot of the drivers around the paddock, which is completely fine,” the Williams driver said.

“There are no hard feelings or no issues between myself and Lewis.”

Things are consolidating pretty well for Russell at the moment. With Valtteri Bottas struggling to deliver this season, Mercedes might soon start hunting for other options. And there’s Russell standing right at the top of the team’s priority list.

So, will Russell find himself slotted in a championship-winning car by as early as the 2022 F1 season? Well, let’s wait and watch how the future unfolds.

Read More: Mercedes Engineers Believe Lewis Hamilton Would Have Outperformed George Russell at Sakhir GP 2020