George Russell is confident Mercedes can manage his battles with Lewis Hamilton, which he describes as normal between closely matched teammates.
There weren’t many positive headlines for Mercedes last year, who were forced on the defensive in the development race.
They gambled with their philosophy over winter, a decision which ultimately backfired and resulted in internal changes. James Allison was among them, replacing Mike Elliot as technical director.
However, this isn’t to say there wasn’t any competition within the team. On numerous occasions last season, Russell and Hamilton found themselves competing for the same piece of track.
Tensions reached an all-time high in Qatar, where the Mercedes duo tangled into turn 1.
This loss was only worsened by the W14’s performance in Losail, which was almost certainly enough for the podium. Although the team moved on from the incident, there were other less extreme examples of friction.
At Suzuka and Brazil, for example, Russell expressed team radio frustration on multiple occasions. This isn’t necessarily abnormal, but it is still worth pointing out.
However, the 25-year-old told Autosport that competition is normal between teammates of a similar calibre:
“I think it’s normal when you’re so close in performance, when you’re lapping at the same lap times – or you’re starting next to one another on the grid.
“We always go through our strategy meetings. The pace difference between the two of us is zero…
“We cross paths a lot, and he’s the driver I cross paths with the most.”
Russell also emphasised that battles can stay within the limit:
“We all know that we’ll give each other enough space to fight necessarily and not go beyond the limit.”
Russell’s assessment holds some truth – since it isn’t uncommon for teammates to tangle.
Mercedes has first-hand experience with this dilemma, having spent years managing the battles between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg from 2013-2016.
Although the 7-time Champion was consistently a step ahead of Russell in race trim last year, it seems reasonable the Silver Arrows might clash in 2024.
Whether Mercedes fights for podiums, race wins, or Championships, managing this inter-team battle will be pivotal.
Author: Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
