"Rhetorically and politically" - Helmut Marko believes George Russell will be a big challenge for Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton will face a stiff challenge from his new Mercedes teammate George Russell in the 2022 season, according to Dr. Helmut Marko.

Marko is a former racer who is in charge of Red Bull's driver development program. He is also an advisor to the Red Bull F1 team.

Speaking in an interview with Auto Motor und Sport, the Austrian surmised that George Russell's arrival at Mercedes may hinder Lewis Hamilton's chances. The young Briton could be able to take points off his seasoned compatriot, aiding Max Verstappen and Red Bull in the process. Marko said:

"(George) Russell will certainly be a bigger challenge for (Lewis) Hamilton. Just rhetorically and politically, because he’s also English."

Marko then went on to emphasize on George Russell's immaculate qualifying record in F1. The 23-year-old has been dubbed 'Mr. Saturday' for his blistering performances during qualifying sessions. Marko said:

“He is an incredibly fast driver in qualifying. In the race, however, the gap to (Nicholas) Latifi was no longer so great. Russell has to prove himself first.”

Lewis Hamilton will know that George Russell can be very rapid in the right car. Russell stepped into the 37-year-old's car for the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix and could easily have won that race as well.

At the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix, George Russell managed to outqualify Lewis Hamilton, in the wet whilst driving a Williams. With a more competitive car with better resources at its disposal, Russell could prove to be a major force in F1.

George Russell replaced Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas and is reportedly on a major $6.76 million contract with Mercedes.

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Lewis Hamilton was 'lucky' several times in 2021, claims Honda's Masashi Yamamoto

Lewis Hamilton was lucky on multiple occasions during the 2021 campaign, according to Honda boss Masashi Yamamoto.

During an interview with Autosportweb, Yamamoto recalled Lewis Hamilton's good fortune during the 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola, saying:

“Lewis (Hamilton) made a mistake, went off the track, and lost a lot of time. However, the red flag allowed his car to be repaired and he was able to make up the lost lap time. Lewis has been lucky a few times this season and this was one of them.”

Lewis Hamilton ran wide and almost got beached on a gravel trap on lap 31 at Imola. The Briton kept his engine alive, but broke his front wing while attempting to rejoin the track.

Lewis Hamilton was aided by a red flag that came about from a huge crash between teammate Valtteri Bottas and George Russell from Williams. Mercedes were able to repair his car and Lewis Hamilton eventually finished in P2.

But it was Max Verstappen who had luck on his side when it mattered most on the final lap of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.