Are you team George Russell or Team Lewis Hamilton? Do you think Russell can compete with Lewis? There are so many questions that arise when we see the new Mercedes pairing. With an astounding age gap of almost 13 years, both these drivers are at very different stages of their careers. While Lewis is arguably the best in the sport, Russell is on his path to become the new champion.

Lewis Hamilton is the captain for George Russell

If you think about it, Mercedes could’ve landed themselves in a puddle. On one side there’s George Russell, who has already begun to finish ahead of Sir Hamilton. And on the other side, they have Hamilton himself, who dominates the sport like none other. Although undoubtedly Hamilton might be reaching a decline in his career soon, his excellence in the car remains unchallenged. But then, Russell is a much younger talent who has many years ahead of him and has also displayed his brilliance repeatedly.

We guess the answer to who is the better driver won’t be out anytime soon. Fortunately for the Silver Arrows, their only goal is to finish in the top 5 and turn in some points for now. Moreover, Russell, who is a Lewis fan since childhood, in a recent interview revealed how he felt about the whole thing. He said, “I’m not going to go out there trying to be the leader of the team, when I’m going up against the greatest of all time who’s been here for 10 years”.

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“He is like the captain of the team and that’s how it should be.”

“I think if there’s something I already admire from Lewis is that he put a lot of effort into dabbling into other sports, into music. It’s a way to take your mind away and it and you know I’m so focused on my racing that you know I gave all of my life to be successful inside that cockpit but sometimes you can overdo it and if you don’t give yourself a second to breathe, you will just get suffocated over there and you won’t be able to get the most out of your performance.”

Russell might not wish to be the second-best after some time

For now, as their rivals bask in their glory, Mercedes can relax the debate about their number 1 driver. However, this might not last for too long, as we can always count on Mercedes to turn the season around in their favor. Russell might not wish to play a second fiddle when or if the car’s pace improves. Maybe we already got a glimpse of it at the Australian GP.

When asked to focus more on management and not hurt the tires, George was not easily pleased. With a ruthless determination to hold his rival back, Russell shot back, “That’s not what I want to hear”.

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Could this be the beginning of the Russell-Mercedes era, or is it all a mirage?