ARE the cracks starting to form in the relationship between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell?
I am starting to sense that there is a little bit of needle developing between the two Mercedes drivers, which has largely gone unnoticed during the FIA’s operational cock-ups in Saudi Arabia and Australia.
In those last two races, we have been left tucking into what has gone wrong (again) in Race Control, which has seen some of Russell’s behaviour bumped out of the spotlight.
To re-cap. Russell snapped back at Hamilton’s claim that he’d 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 before the event…I believed it was going to be better than the set-up that Lewis opted for.”
And then during the race in Melbourne, Russell came on the team’s radio when leading and being followed closely by Hamilton and said: “You’re asking me to manage and I’m being attacked by my team-mate!”
And then, after he had retired with an engine problem, it was interesting to note Russell say he felt he could have won the race, despite Max Verstappen’s pace, because “it would have been difficult to pass, especially with Lewis between the two of us”.
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Russell is doing nothing wrong here, but it is worth noting the language he is using.
It is evident that he is increasing in confidence to now challenge Mercedes’ decisions and speak his mind.
It is a contrast to when he first arrived at the team last season after driving on-loan at Williams.
There is the distinct feeling 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 out theories on how to cure the porpoising.
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The upshot this year is that with a season under his belt, and let’s also remember Merc’s only victory in 2022, Russell senses now is his time to stand apart from Hamilton.
Team-mate rivalries in F1 are nothing new of course and Hamilton has a line of them – Fernando Alonso and Nico Rosberg being the most contentious.
However, unlike the other two where he was the up-coming youngster at McLaren, or at least on a par with Rosberg, there 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 out-qualified his teammate in all three races this season.
His confidence is growing, and the longer that continues, the more problems it could cause for Hamilton.
RACE TALKS
THE FIA and F1 are set to discuss Sunday’s ridiculous end to the Australian GP.
The race stewards want the sport to reassess the rulebook in relation to standing starts after the chaos in Melbourne.
There were debates over all three red flags and the subsequent start procedures and the stewards.
The stewards are concerned about the carnage caused by the slow-moving cars making their way to the grid behind the safety car.
As cars slowed, there was a notable traffic jam, with some drivers forced to take action to avoid clattering into the rear of other cars.
CHANGE TRACKS
ZAK BROWN was buzzing 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 to a boxing match in Las Vegas!
He said: “When we go Vegas, what’s Vegas known for? [A] Little boxing match? I’m ready!”
SAFETY FIRST
A timely reminder that motorsport is dangerous – even to spectators.
One fan suffered an injury when a piece of bodywork flew off Kevin Magnussen’s Haas and sliced his arm.
Australian Grand Prix Corporation CEO Andrew Westacott said: “Coincidentally we had one of our engineering staff there who saw it. It would appear that debris from the wheel hub has shot 20 metres in the air and landed down and lacerated a gentleman’s arm.
“Our people were aware of the incident. It looks as if it was a freak one-off.”
FEELING ROSS-EY
MARCO BEZZECCHI thanked mentor Valentino Rossi after taking his maiden MotoGP win in Argentina.
The Italian won in tricky conditions for his, and the Mooney VR46 Racing team’s first victory and he now tops the championship standings.
He said: “I am happy, more for the team because without them, Vale and the Academy, it would be probably impossible to arrive here.
“My family made sacrifices and we spent a lot of time around the world in the beginning, so they put in a lot of effort to realise my dream.
“The same for Vale, he is my idol and still is, since when I was young, I started because of him. So to meet him, become his friend and his rider, to win a MotoGP race, it’s incredible.”
QUICK SNIP
THE British GT series promises to be the smartest in motorsport after men’s mental health charity, The Lions Barber Collective promised free haircuts during race weekends.
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The Lions Barber Collective are teaming up with FastR and seeking to raise awareness of male mental health at every British GT round.
The group of barbers are trained to recognise, ask and listen for signs of depression with their clients, and will cut hair during race weekends.
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
