George Russell defends Lewis Hamilton as Ferrari drought reaches historic low

Russell says Hamilton was “robbed” of a Mexico City podium

Speaking to Sky Sports in Las Vegas, George Russell argued that Hamilton’s results are not an accurate reflection of his performance. The Mexico City Grand Prix, he said, was the clearest example.
Hamilton qualified third, his best starting position of the season, but a messy Turn 1 incident saw Leclerc and Max Verstappen cut the corner without penalty. Hamilton later received a 10-second sanction for a separate clash with Verstappen, dropping him from podium contention to eighth.

“It was ridiculous,” Russell said. “Three drivers cut the corner and nothing happened. Lewis was the one who was punished the most — he should’ve been on the podium.” He added that the track’s first corner layout contributed to the confusion, calling it “just rubbish.”

Russell dismisses Hamilton’s self-criticism amid Ferrari pressure

Hamilton’s frustration boiled over after a Q2 exit in Hungary, where he labelled himself “useless” and suggested Ferrari should replace him. Russell immediately rejected the comment as “nonsense,” insisting that Hamilton remains an elite driver.

Still, the statistics tell a tough story: since early 2024, Hamilton trails his teammates 37–10 in qualifying head-to-heads, and while his race pace has often been strong, execution issues have kept him off the podium.

As Ferrari continues to unlock performance from the SF-25, Hamilton’s challenge is no longer raw speed — it’s converting competitive flashes into the breakthrough result that has eluded him for nearly a year.