George Russell has explained that he has ‘become a bit closer’ with Lewis Hamilton since their time as team-mates ended in 2024. The seven-time world champion swapped Mercedes for Ferrari, bringing an end to a three-year stint as colleagues. During their time together at Brackley, Hamilton and Russell’s relationship was always a civil one and even after lap-one contact at the Qatar Grand Prix in 2023 that ended the veteran’s race, there was no animosity within the Mercedes camp.
That said, the relationship never looked as close as the one it succeeded, with Hamilton sharing a close friendship with former team-mate Valtteri Bottas that has continued in the four years since their split. Now that Russell is driving for a rival team, that is changing.
“No. If anything, it’s actually become a bit closer,” Russell explained. “We sometimes fly together and talk to each other more often off the track. Lewis is someone whose company I really enjoy. Of course, he’s extremely in the limelight, more than any of us, and sometimes a protective shield goes up.
“But in an intimate setting, he’s someone I get on really well with. It’s nice to have someone like him, someone I can ask for advice from time to time, because he’s at a completely different stage in his career.”
When Russell arrived at Mercedes off the back of a three-year stint driving at the back end of the field with Williams, the task of battling Hamilton looked to be a daunting one. However, he adapted to life at the front of the grid rapidly and caused his more experienced team-mate no shortage of problems over the following three years.
Now, he believes he has what it takes to fight for a Drivers’ Championship title, although he may need to be patient given the current advantage enjoyed by McLaren. “Look at Fernando [Alonso],” Russell noted.
“He comes in, wins two titles in his first four years, and people say, ‘He’s going to get ten’. He hasn’t won a title since. Or Sebastian [Vettel]: He wins four and then no more. If you look at Michael Schumacher, it took him five years at Ferrari before he won his first title there.
“This is now my fourth year at Mercedes… next year will be my fifth. Nobody knows when their time will come. You just have to make sure that you keep performing consistently, keep delivering. And what happens then? Only time will tell.”