‘Not nice’ to see Hamilton struggling – Russell

Grand Prix of Miami

Miami International Autodrome Location: 2 – 4 May Race start time: 2:00 BST on Sunday

Lewis Hamilton’s struggle following his switch to Ferrari, according to George Russell, is “not nice” to see him struggling.

Despite winning the sprint race at the Chinese Grand Prix in March, the 40-year-old has generally lagged behind team-mate Charles Leclerc during the season.

Russell, who worked with Hamilton for three years between 2022 and 2024, said he was aware of Hamilton’s dreadful attitude in recent races.

He is a champion, a winner, and a failure, according to Russell. It’s difficult to accept, too. You’d be asking yourself why he’s beaming with a big smile if he was.

I respect him greatly and like him personally. It’s unpleasant to see a person who isn’t enjoying themselves.

In the championship, he is two places and 16 points adrift of Leclerc.

However, Russell claimed that Ferrari’s time-consuming adaptations were “underestimating how challenging Formula 1 is” for Ferrari fans.

Russell said, “Sometimes you can just jump in and it clicks and it’s straightforward.” It sometimes doesn’t click.

Why hasn’t the second seat at Red Bull, along with Max Verstappen, worked out? Because Formula 1 is so difficult,

You’re facing some of the best drivers in the world, and Charles is one of them, in a team he’s been a part of his entire career, and in a car he knows how to maximize.

Russell added that any evaluation of Hamilton should not be taken lightly based on Leclerc’s driving this season.

Russell noted that Charles has also “been a little under the radar” this year. He’s having a fantastic season, he says. He won the Chinese championship race but had a front wing sprained. In Bahrain, he won a super-strong race, and arguably the safety car prevented him from beating me. This season, he could have won three podiums.

You’d be questioning Charles if a driver approaches and immediately puts his pace. “Charles has been doing a mega job.”

Russell continued that it was all psychology, not striving harder, for Hamilton to return to his best. It’s all about how you feel mentally. Driving quickly is challenging if you’re not happy.

Some people are now asking Hamilton if he is past his best due to his difficulties.

He also had a difficult time against Russell in last year’s qualifying, falling 19 to 5 on average in the season-advantage of 0.171 seconds. They each won two races, and Russell placed in the championship standings by 22 points.

Russell said he was unable to identify whether Hamilton was at his best, but that his current situation was comparable to that of his pompous Mercedes, where he won six titles from 2014 to 2014 to 2016.

When you have a car beneath you that is excellent, you don’t feel as pressure, according to Russell. You can still win the race while driving at 98% everywhere.

“Everything is just coming easy,” he said, “and if the guy in the garage, in your own garage, isn’t challenging you. When there is a little more pressure from within or the circumstances change, you only notice those errors creeping in.

Arriving at this weekend’s Grand Prix of Miami, Hamilton drew parallels with his first season with Mercedes back in 2013, after six years with McLaren.

The first six months at Mercedes were challenging for me to adjust to working with new people, he said.