3 reasons why Mercedes could see George Russell/Lewis Hamilton win next year

Mercedes F1 has had a rather exceptional ride this season. They made a jaw-dropping "podless" W13 design and debuted it during pre-season tests. It practically convinced people that this car was about to be the biggest thing this year.

However, things took a turn for the worse when W13 bounced violently and produced a pace way off of its rivals. Sadly, Mercedes were nowhere near their competition: the Red Bulls and the Ferraris. From there on, the Silver Arrows had a lot of work to do, as they also handled the pressure of grooming a new team driver.

There's no doubt that this season was a shunt to their confidence as the Brackley outfit faced devastating results for the first time in years. However, the team also got back up and though they still arent' really leaders, they have at least shown that they're capable of working marvelously as a team.

Drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, in particular, have turned out to be the dream team for Mercedes. Both have produced some significant performances this season, despite the car not being up to the mark. While Hamilton displayed why he's a seven-time world champion, Russell hinted that he could soon become one.

As they lead their team from the front, this fiery duo just need a challenger to throw them in the mix. If the team produces a championship-worthy car next season, here are all the reasons why we think Russell/ Hamilton can win.

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Can the Mercedes dream team Hamilton and Russell win next season?

1) Lewis Hamilton is the most dependable man for Mercedes

This Mercedes driver needs no introduction. A seven-time world champion, the Briton has a prolific career to his name. As he continues to better old records, the driver looks hungrier than ever to snatch his eighth title.

Though he has had a tumultuous season this year and stands at P6, the Knight bounced back strongly late in the season. In fact, he was even close to a race win during the Dutch GP. He has managed to score six podiums this year, and with the W13 improving, he still has a chance of a race win.

It all depends on how the track suits W13 which has done relatively better on aero-heavy ones. Hamilton, though, can qualify at the back of the grid and still have the potential to breeze past everyone. Some of his performances like the Spanish GP, the Dutch GP, the British GP and the Italian GP were pure examples of his brilliance as a driver.

In a number of the GPs, Lewis Hamilton, when not experimenting with the setup, remained faster than his teammates. Further, he has had an average race finish position of P5, which is good given he often has the third fastest car. Additionally, the driver also made the most out of all the Ferrari blunders this year.

Moreover, there's no doubting that the Briton will not back down from a duel or a challenger to take his victory. The 37-year-old was capable of giving the much faster F1-75s and RB-18s a tough time whenever possible. Clearly, he is back in his champion-like form and only needs a better car to win next year.

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2) George Russell is a new Mercedes star

George Russell has been a breakout star this year, surprising most of us. While he always had the talent, no one could've predicted his marvelous season with Mercedes. In a season full of problems for the team, he has been the only consistent and reassuring figure for Mercedes as a driver.

As teammate Hamilton struggled in the beginning, Russell seemed to face no issues in the same car. All that hard work at Williams paid off as he dragged the W13 into commendable positions and often podiums. The King's Lynn native did not break under pressure as Max Verstappen trailed him closely in Spain. In fact, he prompted Red Bull to change strategies as Verstappen struggled to get past Russell.

Notably, the Briton's incredible pole in the Hungaroring was another feat marking him a threat to the rivals. In often the third fastest car this season, the 24-year-old has been an enigma. His consistency remains so intact that in every race that he's finished, he remains the only driver to be in the top 5.

His quick reflexes have been a highlight this season. Be it catching a napping Sergio Perez to overtake him in France, or making a brilliant tire call to overtake Hamilton in the Netherlands, the driver is intelligent and aware.

He is also currently above Hamilton in the standings and is a race win away from securing P2. Many would agree that Russell has indeed performed better than Hamilton and many others this season, and will be champion if he gets the desired Mercedes car next year.

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3) Mercedes as a unit rarely ever fail

Team Mercedes have struggled a lot this season. They were a huge disappointment till the 2022 Canadian GP, but that's where they showed signs of resugence for the first time. Until then, it was all a mess where the team's star driver Hamilton had given up hope to the point where he publicly announced his dislike for the car.

However, the team led by Andrew Shovlin remained level headed as they finally started finding pace and reduced porpoising. The team worked together day and night as they were finally able to identify the problem and challenge the two red teams.

When drivers Hamilton and Russell crashed their cars in Austria, the team worked tirelessly to recreate the machinery from scratch. Additionally, the car has had very few reliability issues with no mechanical DNFs happening so far, which is an achievement, especially this season.

Further, the Mercedes pitwall remains as remarkable as ever with few mistakes ever made. During the Dutch GP they were pretty good till a mistake with Hamilton was made. None of this, though, changes the fact that Mercedes are as brilliant as ever, and will come up with something great for next season.

Since Mercedes have identified issues with the W13, we can expect them to work better on next season's cars and be more adjusted to the new regulations.