George Russell tipped to 'beat' Lewis Hamilton in Mercedes F1 battle

Ex-Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher says George Russell ‘can beat Lewis Hamilton from the start’ in his debut season with Mercedes.

The 23-year-old is stepping up to the eight-time constructors’ champions’ second seat for the new campaign, having spent three years at the back of the grid with Williams.

Russell has driven once for Mercedes before, at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix in Bahrain when he replaced Hamilton due to the latter’s positive Covid-19 test, and showed strong pace against then-Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas before a pit stop error cost him a shot at victory.

Bottas has taken the seat made vacant by Kimi Raikkonen at Alfa Romeo for 2022, and Russell was presented as a Mercedes driver for the first time last Friday as the Brackley-based squad launched their new W13 challenger for the new era of F1 car design.

Now Schumacher, brother of seven-time world champion Michael and a pundit for Sky TV in Germany, says Russell has the ability to take on and beat Hamilton from the outset.

‘I thought it was interesting how gentle the two drivers, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, were with each other [at the W13 launch],’ said Schumacher, quoted by Speedweek.

‘The young Russell was very careful with his comments and emphasised he wants to learn a lot now. The tone was quite different when George replaced Lewis in Bahrain 2020 and drove alongside Bottas. But I’m convinced that internally it looks different, and I already believe he can beat Lewis from the start.’

Schumacher, who took six grand prix victories during a spell with Williams before finishing his F1 career at Toyota, remains unsure whether Russell can develop to the same legendary level Hamilton has reached.

‘I think Mercedes have a super line-up now,’ he