Lewis Hamilton believes Mercedes’ experience of managing his previously fractious relationship with former team mate Nico Rosberg will help to navigate a similar situation should it occur with George Russell.
Earlier in September, after so much of speculation Toto Wolff and Mercedes announced signing of George Russell to replace outgoing Valtteri Bottas as Lewis Hamilton’s team mate for 2022 and 2023 season.
Hamilton & Bottas enjoyed great relationship since the Fin’s arrival at Mercedes, Lewis won all his four-title without much of resistance from Bottas. The Brit also thanked Bottas for his contributions towards winning four constructors title together and labeled him as a best team mate ever.
In contrast, a championship battle between Hamilton and Rosberg twice went down to the final race of the year.
Asked by gpfans if this level of disharmony could be avoided between two drivers of equal ability, Hamilton said:
“I don’t know. History has shown that it can and history has shown that it can’t. It is different in each team, it is ultimately hard to manage.
“It is quite a strange sport where it is a team sport but it is also an individual sport so you have got those two championships and individually you want to finish ahead but at the same time, you have got to do the job to get the team ahead.
“It is a difficult one to navigate through but I would like to think we have experienced it and learnt from it and therefore should be pretty well set moving forwards.”
Hamilton reveals his role in Mercedes’ Russell signing
There were so much rumors’ in the media that Hamilton could veto the Russell deal as retaining Bottas as a team-mate was his favoured option.
Dismissing such talk, Hamilton told gpfans,
“not really much input to be honest. Toto [Wolff] and I talk, we are very much team-mates and we discuss everything. We work together as a team in terms of how we navigate moving forwards.
“He asked me what I thought of George, I naturally gave positive feedback. He asked me how I felt about Valtteri and I did the same.
“At the end of the day it is his and the board’s decision and I think you have seen how positive it has been.”
