Lewis Hamilton will be leaving Mercedes at the end of this year after being with the team for over a decade. George Russell, who will soon be driving for Ferrari in F1, will be wearing the black gear of Mercedes for the last time during the 2024 season. Hamilton, who is still on the German team, will not be favored by Mercedes this year, according to F1 reporter Martin Brundle. Brundle believes that Russell will transition into the leadership role at Mercedes and Hamilton will slowly be excluded from certain meetings to maintain secrecy. Brundle stated on the Sky F1 podcast that Russell will be the one favored by Mercedes during the 2024 season, as the team looks towards a bright future in the sport. Russell has a great opportunity ahead of him as Hamilton’s unexpected departure opens the door for him to become the team’s leader. Toto Wolff, the team’s manager, has publicly supported Russell as the future leader of the team. Last year, Russell had a disappointing eighth-place finish in the standings compared to Hamilton’s third-place finish. The upcoming season will be interesting for fans and Mercedes as they see how Russell performs as the team’s new leader.
According to the Source firstsportz.com