How George Russell’s Driving Style Puts Him Ahead in Mercedes Championship Fight

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George Russell has recently been spotlighted for his performance in the Mercedes team in comparison to his storied teammate. During the 2024 season, Russell excelled in driving the ground effect car. In contrast, Lewis Hamilton had found it challenging to adjust, particularly in qualifying sessions where he seemed to stumble. For Mercedes, adapting to the ground effect era has been tough since their beginning in 2022, with challenges such as severe bouncing and lack of performance compared to their usual level of dominance. Despite these issues, they managed to secure four victories last year. Hamilton had openly talked about his frustrations, particularly with his qualifying performance, which pushed him to leave the team for Ferrari. But Russell had much more confidence in the W15, as quoted by Autosport. He said: “I think probably my natural driving style has worked well in these cars.” Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team and George Russell of Great Britain and Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team use their mobile device during the F1 Grand Prix of Mexico at Autodromo Hermanos… Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team and George Russell of Great Britain and Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team use their mobile device during the F1 Grand Prix of Mexico at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on October 27, 2024 in Mexico City, Mexico. George Russell opens up on why he felt more comfortable in the Mercedes W15 in comparison to his teammate, Lewis Hamilton. Song Haiyuan/MB Media/Getty Images Russell aims to rival Max Verstappen in the coming championship by capitalizing on a driving style that matches his Brackley machinery. “But, equally, my qualifying record against my team-mates in the previous generation was good and in every category my qualifying records have been strong.” His stable cornering approach benefits tire management which is crucial for the W15 as its rear tires often overheated. This has stood out, especially when compared to Hamilton’s aggressive steering style, which led to a high level of oversteer. He continued: “I don’t think there’s anything particular with this generation, but, obviously, Lewis has been my toughest team-mate, so I think that’s why it’s been highlighted a bit more. “Experience is a huge part of it. “You learn as the season goes on what you need to do to get the most out of the tyres, what’s where you can exploit the car’s strengths, where you need to be careful of the car’s weaknesses.” Pre-Season Testing Australia China Japan Bahrain Saudi Arabia Miami Emilia-Romagna Monaco Spain Canada Austria Great Britain Belgium Hungary Netherlands Italy Azerbaijan Singapore United States Mexico Brazil Las Vegas Qatar Abu Dhabi