The 2021 world title is still to be played. The duel between Lewis Hamilton And Max Verstappen it keeps millions of fans around the world glued to their screens, but in a sense the world of F1 is already looking forward to next season. There will be the new single-seaters, of course, daughters of the long-awaited revolution in technical regulations, but there will also be new line-ups within different teams. The most intriguing, needless to say, is the one that will see Lewis Hamilton and George Russell coexist under the same roof: the past / present and the future of British motoring. After this year’s challenge with the Dutch home Red Bull, another ‘generational’ clash is expected for the seven-time world champion.
The collective curiosity is also to understand how Mercedes will manage the new couple. Toto Wolff he has already made it clear that he will not tolerate a situation similar to that experienced at the beginning of the hybrid domination with Hamilton and Rosberg. But also thinking of Leclerc’s precedent with Vettel in Ferrari, it is difficult to imagine that Russell accepted Mercedes with the intention of being a simple ‘wingman’. The veteran par excellence of the racing world, Mario Andretti – F1 world champion in 1978 -, expressed his thoughts during an interview with the site RacingNews365.com. According to the former Lotus standard bearer, life for Russell in the new reality will not be easy.
“If Mercedes gives freedom, which I think will happen especially at the start of the season, it is up to the individual driver to show what he can do and what he can bring to the team. – commented Andretti – I’m sure Mercedes will somehow always favor Lewis, and understandably – added the Italian-American – but at the same time I’m sure George will have the same equipment “. Andretti, however, also wanted to emphasize how great the qualities of the Williams home driver are. “He impressed me. He really proved that he can be a future champion. I can’t wait to see how he will fare next to Lewis “he concluded.