Mercedes finally speaks out about the ‘heat of the moment’ incident involving teammates Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.
Mercedes finally speaks out about the ‘heat of the moment’ incident involving teammates Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.
During the last two Formula One races, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell got into a scuffle on the track.
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, the two Mercedes Formula One racers, have had on-track scraps in the last two races. Hamiton even openly stated that providing Russell with DRS to resist Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari at the Japanese Grand Prix was “not a good idea at all.” Mercedes communications director Bradley Lord recently addressed the rumored rivalry between Hamilton and Russell.
They were obviously both racing hard in a tricky car pushed to the limit. There was obviously some radio traffic reflecting this as well. “But I think we’ve developed the habit over the years of not reading too much into what’s said in the heat of the moment in the pressure of the cockpit, especially at a hot and demanding race like this one,” Lord told Sky Sports, according to Total Motorsport.
“Anything that needs to be cleaned up or discussed afterwards can be done away from the pressure cooker and nice and calmly in the debrief,” Lord added.
Last year, George Russell had an impressive debut season with Mercedes, outscoring Lewis Hamilton. The British driver, on the other hand, has written a brilliant comeback and now has a healthy 75-point lead over his teammate with six races remaining this year. With 190 points, the seven-time world champion is currently in third place in the Drivers’ standings. Russell, on the other hand, is ranked eighth in the points standings.
Russell finished eighth in his first season with Mercedes. Last year, the 25-year-old also earned Mercedes’ sole victory. However, the scene has not been quite the same this time. Russell has only finished in the top three once so far this season.
Russell was on his way to his second top-three finish of the season at the Singapore Grand Prix, but a crash on the final lap allowed Lewis Hamilton to take his fifth podium of the season. Since Russell joined the Silver Arrows at the start of last year, the two Mercedes drivers have been driving together. Hamilton and Russell are both under contract with Mercedes until the end of the 2025 season.
The Japanese Grand Prix witnessed one of the season’s most exciting rivalries between the two Mercedes drivers. Russell passed his teammate at the last corner of the race before Hamilton repositioned himself into Turn One. Both racers went off track after a few laps, with Russell attempting to overtake Hamilton at the Spoon Curve. Hamilton finished in fifth place at the Suzuka Circuit, while George Russell finished in seventh place.
