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Team Mercedes have struggled a little bit this year despite comprising a fantastic lineup in the form of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. Sadly, their star driver Hamilton was also not exactly up to the mark as a seven-time world champion during the first half of the season.
The team as a whole struggled massively with their W13, not being able to gain the most out of the car, ultimately only making it faster post the summer break. The car was even almost 1.8 seconds off Max Verstappen's fastest RB18 and gave its drivers a tough time. Mercedes, in the meantime, had only one positive to look at: George Russell.
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Russell has been the better Silver Arrows driver this year and currently stands at 188 points in the drivers' standings. He is the best chance the team has to propel itself ahead of Ferrari and Red Bull in both the driver's and constructors' tables. And if we're to go by mighty Russell's performances, he looks ready to breeze past Zeus himself to take his race win this year.
So let's look at why George Russell is the messiah for Mercedes' resurgence in the coming years.
#5 George Russell has given a promising start
The young Briton currently stands P4 in the drivers' table and is 30 points ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton. He has consistently finished in the top 5 this season with just one DNF at the British GP. Bringing hardly any damage to the car, he has made the most out of every resource provided to him.
While Hamilton has struggled a lot since 2021 itself, Russell has looked steady as a rock, refusing to bow down to the formidable seven-time world champion. Finally, a point came where Russell asked for softs during the recent Dutch GP and did not flinch twice when it came to overtaking Hamilton. Honestly, they were so close they could've crashed.
There's no doubt that because Russell has a shot at P2 with just 13 points to conquer, Mercedes will bet on the young King's Lynn native for their best finish this year.
#4 Russell's consistency will be a key factor
A driver can't win one race every few months and become a Formula 1 world champion. The likes of Max Verstappen and even Lewis Hamilton have proven how one has to consistently either win or at least be on the podium. While Russell was not provided with a championship-winning car this year, he maintained consistency in terms of whatever the car allowed him (usually in the top 5 at least).
The car is not solely responsible for making one win. Teammates have been a second off of each other's pace even this year, proving how important a driver's skill is. While Lewis Hamilton struggled heavily with the W13, Russell consistently dragged it up the field irrespective of his qualifying position.
#3 George Russell adjusts better to problems while Lewis Hamilton couldn't match for a long time
Mercedes had a best friend for the first half of the season: "Porpoising." These oscillations affected a team's performance to the point where either a car could bounce more and produce speed or vice versa. When the Silver Arrows opted for speed in Baku, Hamilton's cries were heard on the radio.
In general, the driver seemed to have struggled the most with bouncing on the grid. While both drivers tried their best despite everything, Russell made it up to the podiums, complained far less, and looked more comfortable during the "porpoising". The key difference is that Russell performed at the highest level in W13 despite the heavy bouncing, while Hamilton struggled heavily. The physical aspect, however, could have been a big factor in this case.
#2 George Russell's essential and maybe better decision-making during races
George Russell is very Hamilton-like in this sense. He has the authority to question a team call and is allowed to make his own decisions just like Hamilton often does. There is no doubt that Hamilton's this very trait of defying team calls has often been right and helped him out.
Something similar happened when Russell opted for softs at Zandvoort, proving he would do anything for a win. The Brackley-based outfit was also sneaky and did not report this to the 37-year-old who found it to be almost cheating. Mercedes made their preference clear at the time, with George Russell showing future champion-like traits. Because indeed, a title-winning driver is very much in authority to control his race.
#1 Russell is a younger and better talent than Hamilton currently
The young Briton has proven his worth since day 1 of joining the Mercedes camp. While many doubted his ability to pair alongside an F1 giant, he has already surpassed Hamilton. Further, Russell is much younger than Hamilton and has many years ahead of him.
He confidently led every lap that he could this year, and looked unfazed by any challenge, coping with the pressure brilliantly. Further, removing his racing ability, he has still bought consistent top 5 points for the Silver Arrows, while Hamilton has finished pointless in a race this season too.
George Russell has managed to out-perform the driving beast Hamilton himself. If Russell has managed to make him look far less superior in so many ways and has already taken the lead, then we have reason to believe in his talent to bring Mercedes back up.
