George Russell has discussed the most important skill he learned from Lewis Hamilton during their time at Mercedes together. When Russell joined Mercedes in 2022, Hamilton was heading into F1 as an emotionally wounded racer.
George Russell hails Lewis Hamilton's mentorship
The seven-time F1 champion faced the biggest heartbreak of his F1 career in December 2021. A shocking decision by the race director at the season-ending AbuDhabi Grand Prix cost him a possible eighth F1 title and gave Max Verstappen his first. Even after the disappointment, Hamilton came back with a fresh approach in 2022.
For George Russell, a promotion from Williams to Mercedes meant the best thing in the world, as he would be fighting for the podium with the biggest names. As lead racer, Hamilton would play a crucial role in guiding Russell.
In an interview with Maxim, Russell revealed how Hamilton's interpersonal skills kept the morale high within Mercedes, and turned out to be his biggest learning so far.
"I think the biggest thing I learned from him is just how he kept the morale around the team so high, even through moments of difficulty," the 27-year-old said. "You know, he was a true leader within this team, and he was a true hard worker. He was the first in, last out, and that set the standard for everybody else within the team."
In their three-year partnership, George Russell ended up outperforming his seven-time champion teammate. In the seasons of 2022 and 2024, he finished ahead of Hamilton in the drivers' championship table.
George Russell' journey from junior driver to lead driver at Mercedes
Within a span of three years, George Russell went from being Lewis Hamilton' mentee to guiding the seven-time F1 champion's replacement, 18-year-old rookie Kimi Antonelli. However, this change did not bring any tough jobs for him.
It was a smooth transition because he'd spent three years absorbing everything he learnt from Hamilton.
"When I came into Mercedes, I had three years under my belt [at Williams Racing], but I was new to the team, and I wanted to use my ears more than my mouth, if you know what I mean," Russell said. "I wanted to sort of soak in all the information and see how Lewis does his business, because it’s clearly worked for so long. And over time I became more confident, and the team was giving me an equal voice within."
This change helped Russell to become more adaptive. In 2025, the Briton signed a new 1+1 year deal with Mercedes for 2026, making him the third-highest-paid racer on the grid. The contract includes a performance clause, which, if triggered, will automatically extend his stay at the Silver Arrows for 2027.