George Russell might have secured his first victory in Formula 1 last season but doubts still remain over whether he is deserving of the Mercedes seat alongside Lewis Hamilton.
According to 1996 world champion Damon Hill, Russell needs to shine this year to show that he is a “valuable asset” to Mercedes, especially given the team’s performance issues.
Since the new era of regulations started last season, Mercedes has struggled to adapt, finding itself fighting for scraps down the pecking order, rather than at the front with Red Bull.
“Mercedes know that given half a sniff of a chance, Lewis is going to be back on on top form and can deliver those extraordinary races. They know that George can do that too. But he has yet to prove all that,” Hill told the F1 Nation podcast.
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“George has to work very hard. He has to make himself a valued asset of the team and he’s obviously doing that really well.
“But at the same time, he’s the one that has to do all the hard work. I think Lewis [Hamilton] doesn’t have to [because] they know what they’ve got with Lewis.
“Lewis will have sussed this out and then he’ll be sitting there thinking, ‘I’ll let you do all the hard work, George, because it’s exhausting doing all this apart from anything else,” Hill added.
Russell has been working to show he is just as competitive as his teammate behind the wheel of the W14 this season, outqualifying Hamilton at every Grand Prix so far.
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If it weren’t for an engine failure in Australia, Russell could have delivered a double podium finish for Mercedes, as he clearly felt comfortable around the circuit.
Russell is working this season to become the first teammate to outscore Hamilton in consecutive seasons.
Currently, Hamilton has the lead in the Drivers’ Standings due to Russell’s DNF in Australia, with the former world champion in fourth, while the younger driver is in seventh.