George Russell has disclosed that he has engaged in discussions regarding the replacement of Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes. The decision made by the seven-time world champion to join Ferrari in 2025 has left the sporting world in shock. After spending more than a decade at Brackley, Hamilton will be departing from Mercedes. Consequently, the Silver Arrows are urgently seeking a suitable successor for the 39-year-old. Now, Russell, who is Hamilton’s teammate, has divulged details about his conversations concerning this situation.
According to Russell, Mercedes has already initiated discussions regarding the replacement of Lewis Hamilton. During the winter break, the 26-year-old spent a significant amount of time with the team boss. Interestingly, Russell found it amusing to receive phone calls and messages from various drivers expressing their interest in joining the Silver Arrows for the 2025 season.
Russell emphasized that he has received phone calls and messages concerning the search for a replacement for Lewis Hamilton. He believes that this presents a great opportunity for Mercedes to find the right individual who can lead the team into its new era following Hamilton’s departure. While there have been rumors about several names being on the team’s list, including 17-year-old Kimi Antonelli, Toto Wolff has currently dismissed the possibility.
After three successful seasons at Williams, Russell joined Mercedes in 2022. Over the past two seasons, the 26-year-old has been on par with his world-champion teammate and even secured the team’s only victory during that period. With Hamilton’s move to Ferrari, this presents the perfect chance for the former F2 champion to establish himself as a team leader.
Toto Wolff has expressed his belief that Russell has the capability to be the team leader at Mercedes. Over the past five years, the 26-year-old has demonstrated his talent in the sport through impressive performances. However, it may prove to be a challenge for the former Williams driver to fill the enormous shoes left by Lewis Hamilton in the upcoming years.
Nonetheless, George Russell is determined to showcase his leadership abilities in the upcoming season. The 26-year-old remains confident in his skills at the Brackley-based team. Consequently, fans are eagerly anticipating Russell’s performance against Lewis Hamilton in their final season as teammates.
According to the Source firstsportz.com