Ex-Formula 1 driver David Coulthard believes Lewis Hamilton will prove to George Russell “why he won seven World Championships”, when Mercedes finally deliver a good car to the duo.
Since making his switch from Williams to Mercedes, Russell has done unbelievably well alongside Hamilton, with the 25-year-old having even beaten the veteran in the Drivers’ Championship last season.
By beating Hamilton in the 2022 standings, Russell became just the third team-mate of the 38-year-old’s to have done so, highlighting how impressive his performance was.
As well as that, Russell was the only Mercedes driver last season to claim a pole position and a victory, further illustrating how quickly he adapted to life at the Silver Arrows.
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2023 hasn’t quite been the same story so far, with Hamilton currently beating Russell 3-2 when it comes to their race results.
Coulthard has put the closeness of their current battles down to the situation Mercedes find themselves in, with the current car still being “the best car” that Russell has ever driven in F1.
Hamilton on the other hand, is used to having a car that will do what he wants, with Coulthard noting that as things stand “the car isn’t talking to him”.
“This is the best car that George has ever driven, remember he was at Williams, this is not the best car that Lewis has ever driven,” Coulthard told Channel 4.
“His mind is in a different place, the car isn’t talking to him, playing to his strengths and you can see he is fighting it out there, it’s just not stable.
“So you have two drivers at different phases of their career. The mighty Lewis is still in there, it just won’t really show itself until the Mercedes is as mighty as it once was.”
Coulthard added that Russell doesn’t have the “baggage” that Hamilton is currently dealing with, something the veteran has a considerable amount of.
As well as trying to return to winning ways, Hamilton is also dealing with the current speculation regarding his future, given that his contract expires at the end of this season.
Despite this, Coulthard is certain that Hamilton will eventually return to his former-self, something which could be a huge wake-up call for Russell.
“George is just sort of constantly there,” said Coulthard.
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“This is the best car he’s ever driven, so he’s not caught up with the baggage of Lewis trying to figure it out, ‘am I re-signing for another year?’ ‘Can I win another World Championship?’ So there’s a lot more on his plate.
“George is doing a brilliant job, [he is an] absolute asset for the team.
“That’s not to say Lewis isn’t doing a brilliant job, it just means that the car isn’t talking to him right now and when it does, expect him to be showing George why he won seven World Championships.”