Both Mercedes drivers have struggled to be competitive at the very top this season, but Russell has amassed more points than Hamilton in his debut year with the Silver Arrows
Lewis Hamilton is looking forward to “a more honest duel” with team-mate George Russell next year after both Mercedes drivers’ struggles in 2022.
When Russell’s move to the Silver Arrows was announced, British Formula 1 fans were delighted about the idea of both of them gunning for the title this year. But it hasn’t worked out that way, as they have been hampered by an inconsistent car which hasn’t been able to compete with Red Bull and Ferrari.
As a result, neither of them has won a race, and dreams of a title push faded long ago. But for Russell it has still been an encouraging year, achieving remarkable consistency in an impressive run of top-five finishes, which has helped him to climb above Hamilton in the drivers’ standings.
With three races remaining, he has a 20-point gap over the seven-time world champion. Russell sits fourth on the leaderboard, with Hamilton two places below â Carlos Sainz splits the two Mercedes drivers, 16 points behind one and four points ahead of the other.