George Russell Responds to Lewis Hamilton’s Persistent Ferrari Struggles

Lewis Hamilton's former teammate George Russell finally responded to the 40-year-old's newfound struggles at Ferrari.

George Russell (via Crash.net), and Lewis Hamilton (via The Independent)

Lewis Hamilton made the biggest driver move in F1’s recent history when he jump-shipped to Scuderia Ferrari this year. The seven-time world champion ditched Mercedes after spending over a decade and winning six world titles. However, Hamilton’s switch to Maranello has been a far cry from what he had hoped to achieve. Now, the 40-year-old’s former teammate, George Russell has spoken up on the veteran’s struggles.

The seven-time world champion was on the backfoot at Ferrari from the get-go due to the lack of familiarity with the team’s switches. After spending so long at Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton was unable to adjust quickly, which had a massive impact in the first few races. In the first six races of 2025, Hamilton has failed to be in contention for race victories except for one sprint win at the Chinese GP. Things have become so problematic that the Ferrari driver expects his entire debut campaign to be like this.

George Russell asserted that despite the current struggles, Lewis Hamilton remains a champion of the sport, someone who has achieved incredible success. Russell highlighted that the media would’ve asked questions on the 40-year-old even if he was doing well. The Mercedes driver admitted that he was not happy to see the seven-time world champion in such a position right now. Afterall, Hamilton played an important role in mentoring Russell not only during their time together at the Silver Arrows as teammates, but even when the 27-year-old was a reserve driver.

He’s a champion, he’s a winner, and he’s in a position where he can’t achieve that. And it’s not easy to accept. If he was beaming with a big smile, you’d be questioning why he’s beaming with a big smile. I’ve got a lot of respect for him and I like him personally. It’s not nice to see somebody who’s not enjoying it.
George Russell said, as reported by Motorsportweek

‘Focused on Myself,’ Charles Leclerc Unbothered by Lewis Hamilton’s Struggle to Adapt at Ferrari

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc (via Getty)

Lewis Hamilton not at Ferrari for money

Lewis Hamilton’s move to Scuderia Ferrari shook the sporting world. Sponsors seemingly flocked to Maranello to have their brands join Hamilton’s Ferrari journey. The seven-time world champion too, received a massive paycheck for making this switch. Though, George Russell insists that money does not matter for the 40-year-old.

Russell made it clear that Hamilton was racing at Ferrari not for money, but just for results. The 27-year-old asserted that Lewis Hamilton is not able to extract pace at this moment. However, things will soon click for the seven-time world champion and he will be back to winning ways.

But why should he be enjoying it? Because for him it’s not about the money, it’s about the results. And it’s not clicking for him at the moment, but I’m sure it will click at one point.
George Russell added

The seven-time world champion has raced in Formula 1 since 2007 and always managed to come out on top. Despite the recent struggles, Hamilton will undoubtedly get back on-track with the support of his crew back at Maranello. Although, this process seems to be taking a lot more time than anyone could’ve expected.

Lewis Hamilton’s struggles at Ferrari have caught the eye of everyone in Formula 1. The 40-year-old’s issues have become a problem for the Scuderia with fans unhappy with the entire ordeal. The seven-time world champion’s will to succeed has also been questioned by some. Though, Hamilton is a fighter, who does not give up so easily. Thus, fans can expect the F1 star to bounce back soon.

Tags: George Russell Lewis Hamilton

#About the Author

Armaan Agarwal

(2622 Articles Published)

Armaan Agarwal is a Motorsport Sub-editor and Content Manager at Firstsportz. He has written over 2500 articles with around 1000 edited pieces under his belt. Armaan has years of experience in the field of journalism, having followed Formula 1 and NASCAR for almost a decade. Nico Rosberg's title victory at the 2016 Abu Dhabi GP against Lewis Hamilton remains engraved in his memory. He started his journey with his own motorsport blog in 2017. At Firstsportz, Armaan provides deep insight into the sport for fans through his special editorial pieces. Armaan has several other skills, including social media content creation, script writing, and debating. He completed his Bachelors of Arts in Mass Communication with a gold medal from St. Xavier’s University Kolkata. Presently, he is pursuing his Post Graduation in Broadcast Journalism at the India Today Media Institute with a keen eye at the ever-evolving dynamics of a newsroom. Apart from motorsport, he is an avid reader and keeps himself up to date with current affairs.

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