F1 pundit claims Lewis Hamilton has made George Russell 'look a bit second rate' at Mercedes

Former F1 team owner and now pundit, Eddie Jordan reckons Lewis Hamilton is making George Russell look 'a bit second rate' in the 2023 F1 season. Jordan claims that George Russell's charm at the start of the season has gradually diminished.

Appearing on the Formula for Success podcast, Jordan reportedly praised Lewis Hamilton and how he was able to perform even at the age of 38. He also claimed how everyone was hyping George Russell up at the start of the 2023 F1 season, and how the tide turned against him. He said:

"[For Hamilton] to do what he’s now doing, honestly, he’s making George look a bit second rate at the moment. And George, we were thinking at the beginning of the year, he’s mustard, he’s world class."

Back when George Russell joined Mercedes in 2022, he performed much better. He ended the season ahead of Lewis Hamilton in the drivers' championship, bagging fourth place with 275 points. In 2023, however, the seven-time world champion has been consistently scoring better than his younger teammate.

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George Russell disappointingly looks back at his performance in the 2023 F1 season

George Russell is well aware of how poorly his 2023 F1 season went. He is quite far behind his teammate, Lewis Hamilton, in the drivers' standings. Speaking after the race in Austin, the young Brit expressed his frustration at how he had missed some great opportunities throughout the season. He said:

"Standing here now, a little bit frustrated about the missed opportunity. Which is the story of the season. I feel like every time I stand in this TV pen, I’m saying it was a missed opportunity.

Furthermore, he compared 2023 to 2022 and how better his first year with Mercedes was. He claimed that there was only one race where he felt that he missed an oppotunity. He feels that he still has the pace and performance, and there is something else which is limiting him.

"Whereas last year, I think out of 22 or 23 races, there was only one race where I was saying we missed an opportunity. Really need to have a think about what’s going on, because it’s not for a lack of pace and performance."

Lewis Hamilton is currently third in the drivers' championship with 232 points, while Russell is down in eighth place with only 160 points. Heading into the 2023 F1 Abu Dhabi GP, Russell has only bagged one podium and has retired four times this season.