MERCEDES new boy George Russell has heaped praise on team-mate Lewis Hamilton, coining him the “greatest of all time”.
The 24-year-old has started the F1 season stronger than his Merc colleague, but insists there are “no hard feelings” between the pair.
Russell has impressed in a Mercedes car that is struggling to compete with the likes of Red Bull and Ferrari.
In his debut campaign for the team, the youngster has finished ahead of Hamilton, 37, in two out of the three races so far.
But speaking ahead of this week’s Emilia Romagna GP, Russell hailed Hamilton, telling Sky Sports: “I think because we’re at just different stages of our career, there’s no hard feelings either way.
“From my side, I’m 24 years old going up against the greatest of all time, if he were to finish ahead of me, obviously I don’t like it but I’m not going to cry and sulk about it.
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“I think equally from Lewis’ side, he’s achieved so much – he’s a seven-time world champion, he’s got all the records.”
Russell went on to suggest that sometimes competition between team-mates can boil over if they are at the same point in their careers.
It’s something Hamilton knows all about, having gone directly head-to-head with Nico Rosberg at Mercedes for the world title when the pair raced alongside each other between 2013 and 2016.
Russell added: “You see it sometimes when you’ve got two drivers who are at the same stage of their career… In the back of all drivers’ minds they’re fighting for that top leadership spot, whereas for both of us, there isn’t that because Lewis has been here for so long.”
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Instead Russell suggested Hamilton was the skipper of the team, and for now he’s happy in the role of understudy.
He continued: “I’m the new kid within the team and I’m not going to go out there trying to be the leader of the team when I’m going up against the greatest of all time who’s been here for 10 years.
“He’s like the captain of the team and that’s how it should be.”
Hamilton trails Russell by nine points in the driver’s standings heading into this weekend’s GP.
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But off the track the Brit duo appear to have struck up a close relationship.
Thrillseeker Hamilton took Russell surfing in Australia earlier this month, and has also promised his team-mate a skydiving trip at some point in the future.
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
