George Russell has been warned he has ‘no chance’ of beating new teammate Lewis Hamilton after making the move to Mercedes for the 2022 season.
Russell is regarded as one of Formula 1 ’s up and coming stars, and an impressive stint at Williams has earned him a spot with constructors’ champions Mercedes for the upcoming campaign.
The 24-year-old will have one of sport’s greatest ever drivers for company though, as he joins seven-time world champ Hamilton at the Silver Arrows.
However, the man Russell replaced - Valtteri Bottas - believes the newbie has ‘no chance’ of being Mercedes’ top man in their new car.
Bottas - who has made the switch to AlfaRomeo - told The Sun : “I don’t see anyone else beating Lewis in the near future in the same machinery.
“George will adjust well because he has been with Mercedes for some years.
“But beating Lewis is not easy. I have experienced that. It is his consistency in his performances.”
The Finn went on to praise Hamilton’s impressive ‘consistency’ over the season, which almost always makes it hard for the Englishman to be beaten.
He continued: ”Every driver has form that is a little bit up and down, but his baseline for performance is just so high.
“Even when he has a bad day it is not too bad. It is his consistency over the season.
“Another of his key strengths is his ability to adapt to different conditions, the skill to react to changes, be it set-up or whatever.
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“This and his race-craft. His tyre management is a special skill and all these things are combined with talent, and he puts in the work, which not many people see, so he is hard to beat.
“I can be proud that on my day, I’ve been able to beat him. But not consistently enough to beat him over a season.”
Despite being one of the sport’s strongest drivers, Bottas was often playing second fiddle whilst at Mercedes due to Hamilton’s dominance.
However, the Finn now has a fresh start with his move to Alfa Romeo, and it is one he is looking forward to.
He commented: “When I joined Mercedes, it was difficult for me to take the lead because of Lewis being there.With him being in the team, it was always difficult for me to take that lead role.
“So now it is different and a fresh start for me — and having that lead role is a good feeling.
“A part of me is always going to miss working at Mercedes. Now I have started looking back at my time there, I have tried to take all the positive moments we had.
“There were great moments and I enjoyed working with Lewis and Toto, but I am also really excited for my new chapter.
“I’m sure with the experience I have with Williams and after five years at Mercedes, I will be able to help the team move forward.
“I feel really comfortable with my role. Yes, there is a responsibility and I have commitments to the team, but it is exciting.”
