George Russell revealed his main takeaway from working with seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes is how much of a “role model” he is.
Hamilton and Russell finished fourth and fifth respectively at the Yas Marina Circuit in their final race together as Mercedes team-mates.
Russell proved to be more than a match for his record-breaking teammate during three seasons together, with Hamilton outscoring him by just two points in three years at Mercedes.
However, when asked to surmise his impressions of Hamilton as a team-mate following the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Russell’s thoughts went towards how the man carries himself rather than his on-track pursuits.
“To be honest, I think just seeing first-hand what a role model he is,” was Russell’s response to select media including Motorsport Week.
“I think I sort of recognise from Lewis that we’ve all got this platform, and we have to use it correctly.
“That’s become even more apparent to me when, with my young niece and nephews watching TikTok and YouTube and Netflix.
“I spend a bit of time with Toto’s son, who also, he and his friends see Netflix and all of this stuff.
“And how you deal with the victories, how you deal with the losses, you inspire the young kids, and I think also this weekend, when I look back to that photo I had of Lewis and I when I was a kid, I looked up to him, the same way as all these kids look up to us.
“I think that’s probably been the biggest life lesson that I’ve learned from him, that sometimes, even if you want to really express something, there are hundreds of millions of people watching, and the way do you it is important.”
Hamilton has strived to be a positive figure of influence outside of the car through his Mission 44 initiative to promote diversity and inclusivity in STEM subjects and motorsport.
Russell inherits senior status at Mercedes
Russell’s tribute to Hamilton in Abu Dhabi featured the iconic photo of the former, aged 11 in 2009 waiting to speak with Hamilton at a Formula Kart Stars event all the way back in 2009.
Before embarking on their final race together, Russell made sure to greet his former idol on the gird for a hug, and with that, a spiritual baton was passed.
That’s because with Hamilton departing to Ferrari, 18-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli swoops in to take his place and all of a sudden Russell is the senior figure at Mercedes.
After Antonelli was announced as a Mercedes driver for 2025 at this year’s Italian GP, Russell said “Kimi’s exceptionally fast and I’ve got no doubt he’s going to be really keeping me on my toes next year, and I’m really looking forward to a new challenge.
“Three years working with Lewis has been exceptional, but I’m really looking forward to seeing what we can do together from next year onwards.”
READ MORE – Frederic Vasseur: Lewis Hamilton will help Ferrari ‘chase the last thousandths’
