Rosberg sees a “hotter” situation for Hamilton if Russell joins Mercedes
The atmosphere is expected to change at Mercedes next season. For Nico Rosberg and Max Verstappen, Russell's arrival alongside Hamilton would make things more difficult for the seven-time world champion.
If nothing is official at the moment, George Russell should take Valtteri Bottas’s place at Mercedes for the next season. Since 2017, Bottas has formed a complementary duo with his teammate, Lewis Hamilton. The two drivers get along well, and even the seven-time world champion wanted to keep this pair in 2022. But the poor performance of the Finn this season has cast doubt in Toto Wolff’s mind.
If the announcement should come in the coming weeks, the future pairing between Russell and Hamilton is already causing a stir. For Nico Rosberg, this choice is very interesting to bring back a better rivalry within the German team.
« George Russell might be a more exciting decision. If they choose George, then the internet battle would be different and potentially hotter. »
This statement is reminiscent of the rivalry between Rosberg and Hamilton in 2016 where the German driver had dominated his teammate. This rivalry between the two former best friends had brought about a certain tension even on the tracks. Motorsport asked him if this new pair could lead to similar tensions to what he experienced with Hamilton. Rosberg thinks it’s difficult to predict and that Russell must first gain some experience in his new car.
« If one day he drives next to Lewis Hamilton, then it is impossible to predict how he would act in such a situation. It’s an extreme. Suddenly, you are in a winning car in race every weekend, you are fighting against the best of all times, who has been there for eight years. It depends on one driver to another. »
Russell would make things “difficult” for Hamilton according to Verstappen
For Max Verstappen, Russell’s arrival in the German team would make things more difficult for Hamilton. The Dutchman had already observed the Williams driver’s performances at the wheel of a Mercedes in Bahrain last season.
« You can only imagine that the more experience you gain in this car and the more you get used to the team, naturally, the faster you will become. In Bahrain, he made it very difficult for Valtteri.
Verstappen is quite confident to see Russell succeed in a Mercedes. The results of this season with his Williams have impressed the Red Bull driver.
« I am very confident. The performance he did at Spa was really good. Of course, they prepared the car for wet conditions, but to do it in a Williams, it was very impressive. I expect him to deliver good performances if he gets this seat. »
