Lewis Hamilton has struggled to consistently outperform George Russell at Mercedes since the 26-year-old joined the Silver Arrows in 2022.
Hamilton has spent more than ten years at Mercedes in Formula 1. The 39-year-old achieved remarkable success with the Silver Arrows. However, the seven-time world champion will be leaving for Ferrari at the end of this year. Now, Formula 1 legend Mario Andretti has pointed out how Russell has revealed Hamilton’s weaknesses in the past two seasons.
Andretti highlighted that Hamilton had always had a winning car in the sport. Moreover, the seven-time world champion didn’t need to push himself to the limit, which allowed him to make fewer mistakes. On the other hand, Russell claimed that Mercedes was a haven for drivers who had experienced disappointing cars, as he did during his three seasons at Williams.
The former Formula 1 champion claimed that Russell was accustomed to fighting for every race during his time at the Grove-based team. However, Lewis Hamilton, who appeared extraordinary during Mercedes’ dominance in the sport, now seems to be showing his human side as the Silver Arrows struggle in the ground-effect era. Although, Andretti highlighted that he faced a similar situation during his Formula 1 comeback with Mercedes in 2010.
Lewis Hamilton will replace Carlos Sainz at Ferrari next year. The seven-time world champion was offered a $430 million contract by Maranello. However, Mario Andretti confessed that he felt sorry for the Spanish driver who had been sacrificed to bring in Hamilton. Nevertheless, the 84-year-old was confident that Sainz would find a seat for next season.
Moreover, the former Formula 1 champion was curious to see Lewis Hamilton race for the Scuderia. Andretti emphasized that racing for the Prancing Horse was Hamilton’s great desire before retiring from the pinnacle of motorsport.
Certainly, Lewis Hamilton will have lofty ambitions for his time at Ferrari next season. The seven-time world champion will be looking to bounce back after a series of disappointing campaigns with Mercedes. As a result, fans will be eagerly awaiting Hamilton’s races in red for Maranello in 2025 and beyond. Although, the 39-year-old will aim to end his journey with Mercedes on a positive note this year.