George Russell said Lewis Hamilton’s departure from Mercedes was a “big change that will bring a lot of motivation” as the team enters a new era.
Hamilton completed his final race for Mercedes in Abu Dhabi earlier this month ahead of a move to Ferrari in 2025. The change means Mercedes will not have Hamilton as part of its line-up for the first time since 2012 when it ran Michael Schumacher. With Nico Rosberg. Russell believes this departure not only serves as a reminder of what has been achieved, but also provides a new beginning.
“We had work to do on Thursday night. [in Abu Dhabi] Overall, looking back on some of his memories, as painful as the last three years have been, I think seeing all of them also reminds the team that we can do this,” Russell said. “We have the same team we had when Lewis was in his prime.
“And Lewis said after the debriefing, everyone was holding their heads after what happened in qualifying, but he said, ‘Come on, let’s stand tall and not forget all these pole positions and wins we’ve achieved together.’ I think we finished this season very well.
“It’s been a difficult three years. I think this change for everyone will really motivate everyone. And I think sometimes change is really necessary.”
Russell said the personal lessons he learned from Hamilton were less about his driving skills and more about how the seven-time world champion developed into one of Formula 1’s leading figures.
“Honestly, just seeing what a role model he is is enough,” Russell said. “I learned from Lewis that we all have this platform and we need to use it properly. This becomes even more evident when my young nieces and nephews watch TikTok, YouTube, and Netflix. I spend time with Toto [Wolff]’s son, he and his friends watch Netflix and all this stuff.
“And how to deal with a win, how to deal with a loss, how to inspire young kids and… when I look back at pictures I took of Lewis when I was little, I looked up to him. The same way all these kids look up to us. “Sometimes there’s something you really want to express, but hundreds of millions of people are watching, and how you express it is important. I think that’s probably the biggest life lesson I learned from him.”
