Helmut Marko stirred the pot for a potential Mercedes rivalry as George Russell is set to join Lewis Hamilton at the team.
Russell will race for the Silver Arrows in 2022, and fans are excited to see him in a super-quick car. However, more interesting is the fact that he will be racing alongside Hamilton, who is only the most decorated driver on the grid.
It will be the classic case of young talent versus elite veteran, and how the two egos are managed will be extremely key. Should the former Williams driver turn out to be as fast as his countryman, the stage will be set for a simmering rivalry.
Marko stirred the pot for a potential Mercedes rivalry, and revealed that a bust-up between the two drivers would play right into Red Bull’s hands.
As quoted by Racingnews365.com, when asked by La Gazzetta dello Sport if Russell could match Hamilton, Marko said, “I first have to see how fast Russell really is.
“In qualifying, he was fast last season. But in the races, he was hardly superior to Nicholas Latifi. So we have to wait and see how fast he’s going to be in the race.
“If he can indeed match Hamilton’s speed, that could be an advantage for us.”
Overhaul
Russell will replace Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes, and make the high-profile move for the first time in his career. With him touted as a future world champion, his destiny is in his hands.
However, with Mercedes having such an astonishing pair as their lineup, it could either be a match made in heaven, or a disaster waiting to happen.