Sky pundit Ralf Schumacher sees George Russell currently ahead of Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes – Safety car luck, but “a bit better than Lewis again” in Miami
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton will have to dress warmly in the current Formula One season if Sky pundit Ralf Schumacher has his way, because his Mercedes team-mate George Russell is well ahead of the dominator of the past eight years, at least in the drivers’ standings, with a 23-point lead after just five races.
In previous seasons, Hamilton still had an easy time with Valtteri Bottas, as the former Mercedes driver was never a serious threat to the Briton at any time. “Russell is a different calibre for Lewis now than Bottas was and, above all, he is a consistent calibre,” says the Sky pundit.
Russell, in his debut season for the Mercedes team, is the only driver in the entire field to finish in the top five in the race in each of the first five races of the season, underpinning the consistency Schumacher described.
Schumacher: Russell also “a bit better” in Miami
“He is also someone who picks people up – just like Hamilton. He makes a likeable and very buddy-like impression in the team,” he adds. “He kind of outweighs Lewis a little bit in every way. He can just handle it better and that bothers Lewis, I’m pretty sure.”
“That’s clear, he’s an egotist after all, as we all were as racing drivers, and I was as well, I admit that. In any case, I have to say, it will bother him. One hundred percent!”
However, Schumacher also stresses that Russell was “lucky” with the late safety car at the Formula One Grand Prix in Miami, but in his opinion he was “a bit better again” than the seven-time world champion.
“Lewis is still struggling with the car and has been complaining a lot – ok, we know that when he’s been fast – but he’s still struggling there. At least it’s going in the right direction,” the Sky pundit observed.