George Russell admits there was'a lot of tension' within the Mercedes team throughout the year

George Russell revealed that there were moments during the season when there was a lot of tension within the Mercedes team. Mercedes did not have the best car on the grid this season and that put the team on the back foot.

While the team was able to crawl its way back to the front with George Russell winning the penultimate race of the season in Brazil, things weren't so smooth all season.

In his interview on the High Performance Podcast, Russel recalled there were moments during the season when tensions were running high. When questioned if the dynamic between the two Mercedes drivers, himself and Lewis Hamilton, would have been different if the two were fighting for the title, Russell said:

“I think, for sure, the dynamic would have been slightly different had we arrived at the first race and had the fastest car on the grid. There has been a huge amount of late nights throughout this season, a lot of tension at times between drivers, teams, and designers with regards to are we on the right track – do we need to be doing something different, more drastic?"

He added,

“These were very difficult conversations. But we come away from them growing closer together. We’ve got such great leadership within Mercedes that we are now all pushing in one direction. I truly believe this experience we’ve been through this year will lead to more long-term success.”

Fortunate to be Lewis Hamilton's teammate: George Russell

George Russell did admit that he was fortunate to be Lewis Hamilton's teammate as it gave him the opportunity to learn so much from someone that has been very successful in the sport. He said,

“I feel very fortunate to be in this team, a teammate of Lewis, learning a huge amount and being pushed to my limits. It’s not easy being teammates with somebody as fast and great as he is. But it has been a great year in many regards."

"What we all do – every single person in this paddock – we are so fortunate to travel the world, us driving the fastest cars in the world around the best tracks in the world. I’m knackered now but, still, there’s a lot to look back on and be happy about.”

George Russell did become only the third teammate in history to beat Lewis Hamilton this season. The other two were Jenson Button and Nico Rosberg.