Sir Lewis Hamilton has rubbished reports that he and George Russell haven’t spoken to one another since the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, which saw the young Brit fill in for the seven-time World Champion after he had tested positive for COVID-19.
Russell impressed many in the paddock that weekend, as he looked set to win the race but ultimately finished in P9 after the team messed up a pitstop and he suffered a late slow puncture.
READ: Williams Boss Says Russell Apology Over Imola Crash Wasn’t Required
Addressing this rumour following last weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, Hamilton insisted that his relationship with Russell is still “100 percent intact” and dismissed the aforementioned reports as false.
“Our relationship is 100 percent still intact,” Hamilton said.
“It’s exactly the same [as to what it was prior to the Sakhir GP]. “We messaged after his incident in Imola, and I hope you can see from the message I put on [social media], I’m so supportive of him.
“He’s going through his own journey, but he’s a great guy. He did a great job when he came to the team, and he’ll continue to do great jobs, so no issues,” Hamilton added.
Earlier this month, it was reported that there was “some unrest” within the Mercedes F1 Team over Valtteri Bottas’ recent performances, and a Silver Arrows insider reportedly said Russell could replace the Finnish driver this campaign.
Mercedes and Bottas were both quick to dismiss the possibility of an in-season change, but a Hamilton-Russell driver line-up is nevertheless looking increasingly likely for 2022.
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