Mercedes insider makes feelings known on George Russell taking over the leadership mantle after Lewis Hamilton’s exit

Lewis Hamilton's departure from Mercedes has allowed George Russell to claim seniority in the team, along with the pressures that come with it. However, Mercedes Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin has praised Russell for rising to the occasion and proving his mettle as a team leader.

After a 12-year tenure that included six driver's championships, Lewis Hamilton opted to bid farewell to the Silver Arrows, in favor of donning the iconic scarlet of Ferrari. The move left a void in Mercedes, with rookie Kimi Antonelli arriving as Hamilton's replacement.

Meanwhile, George Russell entered the 2025 season with three years of experience with the German outfit. In the season opening Australian Grand Prix, the British national began with a third-place finish, then matched the result with another podium in Shanghai.

Reflecting upon the same, Mercedes' Andrew Shovlin said (via F1.com),

“Certainly within the team, he's very calm. He seems very confident. He's done a great job in the first [few] races, so that's been really encouraging....he's just going about getting the points, trying to qualify as well as he can. [A] front row in China was very encouraging. He's pushing us hard to improve and he's doing a lot of work himself.”

In his recent bout at Suzuka, George Russell finished in his qualifying position of fifth, bringing home valuable points to place fourth in the driver's standings. He's closely trailed by teammate Antonelli, while Hamilton slots in lower down the order at eighth.

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F1 legend suggests Lewis Hamilton has taken over Ferrari

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton's high profile switch to Ferrari has dominated headlines since the announcement. Now, former F1 driver Jacques Villeneuve has implied that Hamilton has already stamped his authority in the Ferrari stable as the new No.1 driver.

In Australia, Hamilton endured a disappointing debut with Ferrari, finishing tenth. However, he bounced back in the next round at China, securing pole position for the Sprint race and pulling away on race start to mark his first win of the season.

Reflecting upon the same, Villeneuve told Sky Sports,

"So the first thing he has to do, which he's already done, almost done, is take over the team, make the team his, take it away from Leclerc. And he becomes the man because he has to, because all winter, the only talk was Lewis, Lewis and Ferrari, that put a little bit, look in the shadow, but then he had to do it on the track. You got a pole, you got a win. The team is his." (via racingavenuechannel on IG).

In his recent bout at Suzuka, Lewis Hamilton struggled to match the frontrunners on pace, finishing one spot above his starting position at seventh. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc crossed the line in fourth and placed sixth in the driver's standings, two spots above Hamilton.