George Russell’s ability to match and even outperform Valtteri Bottas in equal machinery in the Sakhir Grand Prix unquestionably increased the young Brit’s stock in the F1 paddock, but it also raised questions about how Lewis Hamilton would fare against a stronger team-mate.
According to ex-F1 driver Jan Lammers, Dutch ace Max Verstappen would “easily” win races in a Mercedes and wouldn’t struggle to beat Hamilton if the seven-time World Champion were driving a Red Bull.
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“I’m going for George Russell’s [performance in Bahrain with Mercedes],” Lammers wrote in a recent column in the De Telegraaf newspaper, commenting on his favourite moment of the 2020 season.
“And especially because he gave the answer to pretty much the most frequently asked question: ‘Is that Mercedes really that good?
“Many people also wonder if Max Verstappen would easily win in that car. Well, Russell gave an answer during his one-time outing for Mercedes in Bahrain.
“Although he had a lot of bad luck toward the end of that race, he showed how important the car is.
“For a real comparison you would have to put Max in that Mercedes and at the same time Lewis Hamilton in the Red Bull. Is anyone still doubting who will win?” Lammers added.
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