George Russell has conveyed his sadness at the current problems Lewis Hamilton is facing amid his switch from Mercedes to Formula 1 rivals Ferrari.
The seven-time World Champion left Mercedes after 12 seasons to join Ferrari, putting together one of the all-time greatest drivers with one of the most iconic teams.
However, it has been far from plain sailing, with Hamilton currently languishing in seventh place in the Drivers’ standings, behind former team-mate Russell and the man who replaced him: 18-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
His highlight so far has been a Sprint race victory in Shanghai, but struggles to get to grips with the unstable SF-25 have left Hamilton struggling to find his form.
For Russell, who partnered Hamilton at Mercedes for three seasons, it is not easy to witness.
“He’s a champion, he’s a winner, and he’s in a position where he can’t achieve that,” Russell said. “And it’s not easy to accept.
“If he was beaming with a big smile, you’d be questioning why he’s beaming with a big smile.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for him and I like him personally. It’s not nice to see somebody who’s not enjoying it.
“But why should he be enjoying it? Because for him it’s not about the money, it’s about the results. And it’s not clicking for him at the moment, but I’m sure it will click at one point.”
Hamilton ‘a different character’ compared to the past
Another man who drove with Hamilton in the same team for three years has also weighed in on the topic of his current floundering results.
Jenson Button, Hamilton’s team-mate at McLaren between 2010 and 2012, has observed that his mentality has changed somewhat since the times they drove together.
“Lewis is a different character now than he was when we were teammates,” he said. “If he was deflated, the next day he was out and on it and super fast.
“Now, he’s much more of a calm personality, he’s much more of a rounded character.”
However, despite the compliment paid to Hamilton, Button feels that this particular mentality is counterproductive.
“I think it is starting to hurt him a little bit, constantly being slower than his team-mate,” he suggested. “That’s not how Lewis Hamilton is built. He’s a winner.”
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