Ex-Formula One driver Mark Blundell is the latest figure within motorsport to question Lewis Hamilton’s mentality, wondering whether the Brit has the “appetite” and “vigour” to compete with Max Verstappen. Hamilton has finished seventh and ninth in the first two races of the season and is already 43 points behind his Red Bull counterpart.
Wolff has thrown his support behind Russell – whose move to the team coincided with their dip in performance at the start of the new regulation cycle – to grow into the role of team leader as Hamilton departs, meaning there’s no immediate panic to try signing an established leading driver to replace the seven-time World Champion.
But, while Russell has compared quite favourably against Hamilton during their two-and-a-bit years together, the younger British driver has scored just a single Grand Prix win and remains unproven as a consistent frontrunner or championship challenger.
Having had a self-confessed scrappy season against Hamilton in 2023, including a high-profile mistake while leading Hamilton in Singapore that ended with him in the wall, Russell’s performances in 2024 will be put under close scrutiny this year.
This scrutiny could decide what direction Mercedes decide to take for 2025, according to Sky F1’s Natalie Pinkham, who believes Russell flourishing will allow his team to take a risk on someone more unproven for the second seat – perhaps the highly-rated Formula 2 racer Kimi Antonelli.
“I think much depends on how Russell performs this year because I think, if Russell grows into the natural team leader, then they will be happy to bring on a young, inexperienced driver under him. Like Antonelli,” Pinkham said on the F1 Nation podcast.
