ARE cracks beginning to form in the relationship between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell?
I’m starting to feel like there’s a little bit of a needle forming between the two Mercedes drivers, which has gone largely unnoticed during the FIAs operational blunders in Saudi Arabia and Australia.
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In those last two races we got stuck in what went wrong (again) in Race Control, taking some of Russell’s behavior out of the limelight.
To close again. Russell snapped back at Hamilton’s claim that he would have benefited from taking a different car set-up in Bahrain, saying: “I don’t think there’s any luck in it at all, I think it’s down to the preparation you put in for it event…I thought it would be better than the set-up Lewis chose.”
And then, at the Melbourne race, Russell came on the team’s radio when he was leading and followed closely Hamilton and said “You ask me to manage and I get attacked by my teammate!”
And then after he retired with an engine problem it was interesting to see Russell say he felt he could have won the race despite Max Verstappen‘s pace, because “it would have been hard to pass, especially with Lewis between the two of us”.
Russell isn’t doing anything wrong here, but it’s worth noting the language he uses.
It is clear that he is getting more confident to now challenge Mercedes’ decisions and express his opinion.
It is a contrast to when he first arrived at the team last season after driving on loan Willems.
There’s the distinct sense that in the shadow of Merc’s struggles, Russell, 25, was able to establish himself within the team, while Hamilton played the role of the sacrificial lamb as he tested theories on how to cure the porpoise.
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The result this year is that with a season under his belt, and let’s not forget Merc’s only win in 2022, Russell feels now is his time to break away from Hamilton.
Rivalries between teammates in F1 are of course nothing new and Hamilton has a line of – Fernando Alonso and Nico Rosberg is the most controversial.
However, unlike the other two where he was the rising youngster at McLaren, or at least comparable to Rosbergthere is no denying that Russell is the future for Mercedes.
Unlike Hamilton, he also has a long-term deal with the Silver Arrows. He has also outperformed his teammate in all three races this season.
His confidence is growing and the longer that takes, the more problems it can cause for Hamilton.
RACE TALK
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The FIA and F1 are set to discuss Sunday’s ridiculous end Australian GP.
The race stewards want the sport to reassess the rules of the game regarding standing starts after the chaos in Melbourne.
There were debates over all three red flags and subsequent starting procedures and the stewards.
The stewards are concerned about the carnage being wrought by the slow moving cars making their way onto the grid behind the safety car.
As cars slowed down, a notable traffic jam ensued, forcing some drivers to take action to avoid crashing into the back of other cars.
CHANGING TRACKS
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ZAK BROWN was abuzz after McLaren scored some much-needed points – so much so that in the heat of the moment he challenged Christian Horner to a car race at Silverstone – and Mercedes boss Toto Wolff at a boxing match in Las Vegas!
He said, “If we go to Vegas, what is Vegas known for? [A] Small boxing match? I’m ready!”
SAFETY FIRST
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A timely reminder that motorsport is dangerous – even for spectators.
A fan suffered an injury when a piece of bodywork flew off Kevin Magnussen’s Haas and cut his arm.
Andrew Westacott, CEO of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, said: “It just so happened that one of our technical staff saw it. It appears that debris from the wheel hub was shot 20 meters into the air and landed down and the arm from a gentleman has torn.
“Our people were aware of the incident. It appears it was a bizarre one-time event.”
FEELING ROSS-EY
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MARCO BEZZECCHI thanked mentor Valentino Rossi after taking his first MotoGP win in Argentina.
The Italian won in tricky conditions for his maiden victory and that of the Mooney VR46 Racing team and now leads the championship.
He said: “I’m happy, more so for the team, because without them, Vale and the Academy, it would probably be impossible to get here.
“My family made sacrifices and we spent a lot of time around the world in the beginning, so they put a lot of effort into making my dream come true.
Same for Vale, he is my idol and still is because when I was young I started because of him. So to meet him, to become his friend and his rider, to win a MotoGP race, it’s incredible.”
QUICK SNIP
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THE British GT series promises to be the smartest in motorsport, after men’s mental health charity The Lions Barber Collective promised free haircuts on race weekends.
The Lions Barber Collective has teamed up with FastR and aims to raise awareness of men’s mental health at every UK GT round.
The group of hairdressers is trained to recognize, ask and listen for signs of depression in their clients, and will cut hair during race weekends.