Hamilton's Departure 'Opportunity' For Mercedes And Russell According To Brundle
F1Tuesday, 20 February 2024 at 01:00
Lewis Hamilton will complete his last 24 races in Mercedes in 2024, and his departure opens many doors, according to former F1 driver Martin Brundle.
Often in Formula One, the teams have relatively long contracts or relationships with drivers, and with many of them established, there are not many interesting moves that could be made.
However, ahead of the 2024 season, Hamilton wreaked havoc around the paddock, when he surprisingly signed a contract with Ferrari, completely changing the situation for many parties.
On the one hand, he definitely ended Carlos Sainz's career in Ferrari, as Charles Leclerc has a contract with the team for a very long time. On the other hand, he created a tricky situation for Mercedes, but one, which they can benefit from.
One of the beneficiaries may be George Russell, who in Hamilton's absence, will get a chance to become the team's no. 1 driver. According to Brundle, who recently spoke on the Sky F1 podcast, the 26-year-old Brit is confident and talented enough to take over the leading spot.
"Do you know what? I think everybody’s got an opportunity here. I think George Russell has got the shiny confidence, the talent, the speed, the experience to pick up the mantle and be the number one driver at Mercedes. I do not doubt that at all."
On top of that, the move opened the door for Mercedes in general, as they now get a chance to react to the seven time World Champion's departure, and maybe make changes that they wouldn't be able to make before.
According to Brundle, the loss of Hamilton is an opportunity for the German team. Now, it's about how they react to it.
"I think it’ll energise Mercedes with losing Lewis and it’s an opportunity for them – act in haste, repent at leisure."
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