“We are on a level playing field” George Russell on his relationship with new teammate Lewis Hamilton

“We are on a level playing field” George Russell on his relationship with new teammate Lewis Hamilton

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton

George Russell replaced Valtteri Bottas ahead of the 2022 Formula One season. The rookie is partnering up with 7-time World champion Lewis Hamilton who is chasing his 8th World title after losing the 2021 title in a dramatic and controversial finale to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

Mercedes in the past have given preferential treatment to Hamilton and had asked Bottas on numerous occasions to concede position and “not race” Hamilton. But Russell says he is not being treated any differently in his new team.

Russell said his relationship with his senior teammate is “a very open relationship.” The rookie said he is aiming to win the championship just like his teammate and he believes Mercedes will let him compete openly.

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George Russell and Lewis Hamilton have “have equal treatment” in the team

George Russell Lewis Hamilton
George Russell and Lewis Hamilton

In a recent interview with the BBC, George Russell praised the mutual respect between himself and Lewis Hamilton. Russell confirmed he is liking and adapting to the way Mercedes works and he looks to follow his 37-year-old teammate’s footsteps and ultimately win World Championships.

Russell told the BBC, “We are on a level playing field. There are no team orders, we have equal treatment totally and they [Mercedes] trust us to go out there and race fairly. We have a very open relationship. I think because we are at very different stages of our careers there is a really strong mutual respect between us.”

He added, “We both recognise our fight isn’t with each other as it may be in some other teams. For us, we both want to win but at the moment we are not in a position to be able to win, so we need to work together and push in the same direction to make sure our car goes faster.”

Russell did not enjoy a great weekend in Bahrain as the Brit qualified P9 for his first race with the Silver Arrows. The double DNF’s from Red Bull gifted Russell a 4th place finish. He will be hopeful of a better performance in the Saudi Arabian Gp from March 25-27.

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