George Russell admits he was petrified of an ‘arse-kicking’ from teammate Lewis Hamilton ahead of his arrival at Mercedes

George Russell admits he was petrified of an ‘arse-kicking’ from teammate Lewis Hamilton ahead of his arrival at Mercedes

Mercedes drivers George Russell(on the left) and Lewis Hamilton(on the right)

Mercedes driver George Russell has acknowledged that he was worried that his teammate and 7-time Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton’s “arse-kicking” may result in his departure from Mercedes. Russell officially joined Mercedes this season, replacing Valtteri Bottas as Hamilton’s teammate after years of rumours.

There was a lot of interest in how Russell would perform against Hamilton because many felt Bottas had been an easy teammate for Hamilton. Russell was supposed to occasionally fight Hamilton, but in practice, Hamilton has consistently prevailed.

YouTube video

FS Video

Russell has improved on the troublesome W13 as Mercedes’ season sputters along, and he now leads Hamilton by 19 points in the Drivers’ standings.  But Russell has acknowledged that despite his best efforts to do so when he entered Mercedes, he was aware that an “arse-kicking” from Hamilton might result in his departure from the team sooner than he had planned.

Also Read: “I think in the right car, yes” : Charles Leclerc isn’t ruling out the possibility of an eighth world title for Lewis Hamilton

“It’s been pleasant” : Lewis Hamilton on his dynamics with George Russell

George Russell
George Russell

“I like to look at things a bit more objectively. Things can change very quickly in Formula 1 and signing a piece of paper to join the greatest team of this era without doubt is obviously a huge moment. But if I don’t perform, if I go and get my arse kicked by the greatest driver of all time, what does it mean? Because in a year’s time I’ll probably be out the door,” said Russell.

“It was a huge step on my ladder, but it’s sort of like the image of the guy climbing the mountain – he thinks he’s at the top and he looks up and the peak’s miles away, and you get there and there’s another peak, and that’s kind of the way I look at it. There’s a lot to celebrate for a moment like that. I want to be a World Champion, I want to win races and signing that contract didn’t guarantee anything,” concluded Russell.

Hamilton has also been glowing in his admiration for his new teammate, saying he believes he has what it takes to win a World Championship title. “I won’t say it’s been tough [being Russell’s team mate]. It’s been pleasant, we’ve worked together incredibly well. George has been super-positive, had a positive impact on the work environment,” said Russell.

Also Read: Half-season F1 driver ratings: Ranking drivers between 6-10 ft. Lewis Hamilton

Also Read: When Lewis Hamilton landed himself in serious trouble for spraying champagne on grid girl at Chinese GP 2015