Credits: IMAGO / PanoramiC
Lewis Hamilton has been one of the greatest qualifiers in F1. However, ever since George Russell has taken the wheel beside him, the seven-time champion’s single-lap prowess has come under the radar. In 2024, Russell leads 7-1 in the qualifying head-to-head against Hamilton. However, the 39-year-old can easily recover in this battle. According to The Race, the average qualifying pace difference between the Mercedes drivers is only 0.062 seconds!
The Formula 1 subreddit of Reddit posted this fascinating stat for all 10 teammate pairs on the grid. The Mercedes teammates are the second-closest duo with such a negligible qualifying pace gap after McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Now, Hamilton can turn the tide to start out qualifying his younger teammate in the upcoming races. However, he needs to believe in himself. Lately, at the Monaco GP, the #44 driver put up a rather defeated front after Russell qualified in fifth place, while Hamilton had to settle for seventh.
Speaking to the media, the British driver cited how he doesn’t expect to beat Russell in qualifying for the rest of this season. This raised many eyebrows as fans and experts speculated whether Mercedes are sabotaging Hamilton in favor of Russell.
Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari for 2025 could be a factor that may be hampering a smooth dynamic between him and Mercedes. There was chatter from many experts that the Silver Arrows may sideline the 39-year-old from development meetings as the 2024 season progresses.
As the seven-time champion will be leaving the Brackley outfit next season, they would look to focus on Russell being their team leader. However, Hamilton’s prowess, even in the closing stages of his Mercedes stint, could be quite valuable for the team.
What is going on with the dynamic between Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes?
When Lewis Hamilton announced his switch to Ferrari, there were questions raised about how it would affect his relationship with Mercedes. The team boss Toto Wolff cited that they have accepted the Briton’s decision and will continue their professional dynamic for his last season at the team.
However, Hamilton’s Monaco GP comments don’t indicate that ‘all is well’ at Brackley. The 39-year-old was performing exceptionally well in the practice sessions in Monaco. However, come qualifying it all went away from him, as Russell pipped him.
This has been the trend for Hamilton at several races over the past two years. Sometimes, it has been due to the experimental setup on the #44 driver’s car that gave him a disadvantage relative to his teammate. Now, as the chatter and speculations suggested about Mercedes sabotaging Hamilton this time around, Toto Wolff has rubbished that notion.
According to Formula1.com, Wolff cited how all drivers can be “skeptical” at times when things don’t go well. He added, “I think as a team, we’ve demonstrated that even in the most tense competitions between teammates, we are trying to always balance it right and be transparent and fair.”
While the Mercedes boss is diffusing unfounded theories, the head-to-head battle between Hamilton and Russell seems to suggest otherwise. With just 12 points between them in the standing, it would be fascinating to see if the 39-year-old veteran can turn the tides in his favor.
