“A Bit of the Real Lewis Hamilton” Emerges as Russell Fights Through a “Hangover” Season.
After a stellar season with Williams, George Russell made the jump to Mercedes alongside seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton. But while Russell outscored Hamilton in their first season together, 2022 was a different story. According to former F1 driver Karun Chandhok, Hamilton struggled to shake off the “hangover” of the previous season, leading to a bit of the “real” Hamilton emerging in 2022. Chandhok noted that Russell, on the other hand, had to adjust to being at the top and contend with less experience in some areas, which allowed Hamilton to find his groove. The competition between Hamilton and Russell has been one of the most intriguing aspects of the 2022 season, and it will be interesting to see how the dynamics play out in 2023. Chandhok’s assessment of the season offers an insightful perspective on the rivalry between the two drivers.
While George Russell enjoyed a strong 2022 season, his 2023 campaign was more “scrappy” by comparison, according to F1 analyst Karun Chandhok. Despite an even qualifying record with teammate Lewis Hamilton, Russell only managed two podium finishes to Hamilton’s six, and Chandhok suggests there were a few key moments that highlighted his weaknesses. However, Chandhok also notes that Hamilton was more focused in 2022 after the controversy of the previous season, and this undoubtedly impacted Russell’s performance. Despite the challenges, Chandhok believes that Russell is still a force to be reckoned with in F1.
Chandhok continued, “Russell’s 2023 season was marked by a couple of costly errors, most notably in Canada and Singapore. In Canada, he hit the wall coming out of a chicane while running in fourth or fifth place, forcing him to retire the car. The incident in Singapore was even more high-profile, as he crashed out of third place. These mistakes may have impacted Russell’s confidence and contributed to his relatively poor performance this year.”
It is important to note that, despite these challenges, Chandhok still believes Russell is a talented and competitive driver who has the potential to succeed in the sport.
Despite the disappointing results in 2022, it is clear that Russell and Hamilton were evenly matched in terms of qualifying. In fact, Russell actually had a slight edge over Hamilton when it came to qualifying times, winning 15 of the 28 qualifying sessions throughout the season. Chandhok believes that Hamilton was able to bounce back from his disappointing 2021 season and step up his game in 2022. He attributes this to the fact that Hamilton is a fierce competitor who is always striving for success. However, it is also clear that Mercedes’ lack of a competitive car played a role in Hamilton’s performance last season.
Chandhok attributes Hamilton’s improved performance in 2022 to his ability to bounce back from a difficult 2021 season. He also notes that Russell’s performance in the last two races of the season, in Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi, was strong enough to warrant his place in the top 10 drivers. Chandhok credits Hamilton with stepping up his game in 2022, but he also points out that Russell had some great results towards the end of the season. Despite this, Chandhok still feels that Russell’s performance was not quite as strong as it was in 2021.
The ‘Real Lewis Hamilton’ is Comparable to George Russell in Key Areas.
A comparison of the two drivers reveals that George Russell has made significant progress in his career, but he still falls short of the ‘real’ Lewis Hamilton. While Russell has had some notable successes, he has not yet achieved the same level of performance as Hamilton, who remains one of the most successful drivers in the sport. This comparison highlights the areas in which Russell can improve to reach the level of Hamilton, and it offers insight into the attributes that make Hamilton such a successful driver.
