The situation at Mercedes is indeed one of intrigue.
Teammates Lewis Hamilton and George Russell are now in their second season together and if anyone thought Russell had emerged as the main man, then think again.
George Russell racing for Mercedes was written in the stars. Toto Wolff had his sights set on the young Briton before he stepped into a Williams car.
After Russell spent three years at Williams he joined the seven-time world champion at Mercedes and went toe to toe with Hamilton.
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Interestingly, it was Russell who got the upper hand over hamilton in the 2022 season.
Russell clocked the only race win for the Silver Arrows that year when he beat Hamilton to the finish line in Brazil.
To add insult to injury, Russell finished the 2022 campaign 35 points ahead of Hamilton installing an air of ferocity that has since awoken the beast in Hamilton.
In the current 2023 season, Hamilton now sits fourth in the driver’s standings with 102 points, 37 ahead of sixth-placed Russell on 65.
One man who believes the power has shifted at Mercedes once again is David Coulthard.
“We gave [Russell] warning of ‘be careful of getting ahead of yourself because Lewis, when he is on form, is a formidable team-mate,” he said.
“We have definitely seen a turning of the tide, in terms of Lewis looking pretty sharp. There’s this spring in his voice when he’s talking to the team,” Coulthard said on his podcast Formula for Success.
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Eddie Jordan, Coulthard’s co-host was quick to praise Russell, seemingly suggesting the Briton is up for the task.
“I was super concerned. However, George has absolutely surpassed everything I thought he could be and he is a brilliant potential future world champion.
“If he is in the right position and the right car, he has got everything. Lewis has upped his game, however. He has found his mojo again. He drove a good tactical race [in Canada], giving the car the best chance.”