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George Russell Breaks Silence on Facing Lewis Hamilton at His Peak

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Samriddhi Jaiswal | Last updated Jun 10, 2025 11:58 AM ET

When George Russell joined Mercedes in 2022, he stepped into a storm. Lewis Hamilton had just come off a controversial title defeat in Abu Dhabi and was still regarded as the most formidable force on the Formula 1 grid.

In a revealing new interview, Russell reflected on what it meant to take on that challenge and how it mirrors the dominance Max Verstappen commands today.

“At the end of 2021, Lewis was the hottest stock in the field,” Russell said. “No one would have thought that someone at Mercedes could beat him as a teammate. I came in and performed from the first race. I always believed in myself.”

While Russell didn’t claim superiority, he emphasized his readiness. In his debut full season at Mercedes, he outscored Hamilton, though by a slight margin, in the 2022 season, a feat no teammate had achieved since Nico Rosberg in 2016.

“The reputation [Lewis] had is the same one Max has now,” Russell continued. “No one believes that Max is beatable. And the same was thought about Lewis back then.”

The 27-year-old also praised Hamilton’s legendary rookie campaign in 2007, pointing out how the seven-time world champion was on the podium in his first nine races while going up against two-time world champion Fernando Alonso at McLaren. “That says a lot,” Russell added.

️| George Russell: "At the end of 2021, Lewis was the hottest property on the grid."

"Nobody thought he could be beaten by a teammate at Mercedes. I came in and performed from the first race.”

“The reputation he had is the same one Max has now. Nobody thinks Max can be beaten.… pic.twitter.com/XjQo77BCaH
— La Gazzetta Ferrari (@GazzettaFerrari) June 9, 2025

His comments underscore just how cyclical dominance can be in Formula 1 and how public perception often forgets that even the greatest champions were once challengers themselves.

As Verstappen continues his near-total grip over the grid, Russell’s comparison to Hamilton’s peak raises a compelling question: who will be the next driver to disrupt that streak?

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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