Russell admits that he could have a say in Mercedes’ recruitment of Hamilton’s replacement, pointing out that harmony between drivers is vital. However, the former Williams star has revealed that drivers have already been putting their names forward to take Hamilton’s seat.
Although not naming names, Russell opened up on the recruitment process when asked if he would have an input into naming Hamilton’s successor. The Briton said: “I think for any team it’s important to have good harmony between the drivers, because that trickles down to all of the engineers, and the whole team, but ultimately the decision’s with Toto [Wolff] and the board.
So it’s been quite interesting, but as a team, we’re in a really good opportunity and position to go into this next chapter, [after] so much success with Lewis and Mercedes.”
Russell has played second-fiddle to Hamilton over the last two years and was particularly frustrated by his inability to compete with his veteran team-mate in 2023. However, the driver admits that he would be open to racing alongside another experienced colleague next season and does not necessarily care about being the team’s main star.
Whether it’s an experienced driver or a young driver. I feel that personally, I’m in a great position to help push the team forward and go into this next chapter.”
