Max Verstappen would have ‘damaged his career’ had he chosen to join Mercedes, in Lewis Hamilton’s prime, claims George Russell

George Russell feels Max Verstappen would have not been able to compete had he decided to join Mercedes during Lewis Hamilton's prime years.

Max Verstappen would have ‘damaged his career’ had he chosen to join Mercedes, in Lewis Hamilton’s prime, claims George Russell

Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, and, Max Verstappen

George Russell, the Mercedes F1 team driver, has talked about the prospect of seeing Max Verstappen at Mercedes during Lewis Hamilton’s prime years. He has further gone on to indicate that the Dutchman would have had an extremely difficult time going up against the Brit, and it would have potentially damaged his career at the pinnacle of motor racing.

George Russell joined Mercedes last year and was surprisingly able to beat Lewis Hamilton in the overall team battle. He was recently asked how Max Verstappen would have fared against Hamilton during his prime years if he had joined Mercedes. While stressing about it, Russell added, “Max Verstappen obviously got his promotion after 18 months, but perhaps if he went into a team like Mercedes against Lewis Hamilton at the peak of his powers, it could have damaged his career.“

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“So you’ve got to look at it from both sides, and for sure Max was a greater driver after three or four years under his belt compared to where he was after 18 months under his belt. If you’re going up against a guy who’s absolutely in his prime and dominating in the car that he’s so used to, maybe he wouldn’t be in the position he is today.”

Looking at their comments of Russell, it is quite clear that he believes, Max Verstappen would not have been able to compete with Lewis Hamilton had he decided to join Mercedes during his early years in the sport. He ardently feels that it is always tough for a new driver to go up against somehow who is used to a car and has been doing their trade for a single team for several years.

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George Russell wants to win the F1 Championship as soon as possible

George Russell
George Russell

George Russell, since arriving at the Brackley-based Mercedes F1 team, has impressed people up and down that paddock. No one expected him to get the better of Lewis Hamilton in 2022. Still, against all odds, he managed to do the unthinkable and beat the former 7-time F1 World Champion quite comfortably in the Drivers Championship. Russell proved many people wrong in 2022.

Moreover, coming into the 2023 F1 season, the goal for Russell was to step it up a gear and have a real go at the F1 World Championship. But, the W14 has not proved to be as strong as Red Bull’s RB19, and it looks extremely tough that the young Brit would be able to become a threat for Max Verstappen this year. After the first three races of the season, it seems Mercedes is fighting against the lights of Aston Martin and Ferrari.

Taking everything into account that has happened so far in the season and the ever-improving performances of George Russell at Mercedes, would he be able to get the bragging rights again over his teammate, Hamilton? Both the Mercedes drivers want to fight for the Championships but would probably have to wait for at least one more year before it becomes a reality.

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