Mercedes Is Severely Underestimating Their Lead Driver
It would have been impossible for Mercedes to fill the hole left by seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton upon his exit from the team. The fact is, no one in the history of the sport has won to the degree that Hamilton has, and while he hasn’t found success since joining Scuderia Ferrari, neither has Mercedes in his absence. When George Russell was brought into the lead seat, it came as a difficult decision for team principal Toto Wolff. There wasn’t a whole lot of faith surrounding his promotion, and for good reason; Russell gained a reputation for making small mistakes that compounded into costly collisions. In the 2025 season, Russell has turned his once sour reputation into one of profound maturity, but Mercedes still views him with the same distrust he garnered as a rookie.
There’s now been plenty of time to reflect on the Mexico City Grand Prix, by far one of the most eventful races of the entire 2025 season. With no shortage of entertainment, the race left a lot of ground to be covered, from Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton being sent off the track in the early laps to Carlos Sainz’s pit limiter damage that would inevitably remove him from the race. By far the biggest blunder from the weekend came from Mercedes, with an indecisive team order that may have cost them a podium. While caught between the then-championship leader Oscar Piastri behind him and rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli in front, George Russell fumed at his team over the radio as they asked him to cool his brakes. Rookie Haas driver Ollie Bearman held a lead over Antonelli and Russell, on fresh tires and with a quicker pace than his teammate, demanded that team orders be issued so he could fight for a higher position. His team, however, hesitated, a major mistake that they now regret. By the time they gave the order to swap, Russell’s tires had worn down, and he had lost the competitive edge he needed to move up the grid. When Piastri later overtook both Mercedes cars, Russell gave back the position to Antonelli.
One thing in particular stands out in Russell’s radio calls. When arguing for the initial swap, he claimed that he was in a position to fight for the podium and would give back the position if he failed. Especially when accounting for the immense pressure from Piastri, this shows exceptional level-headedness from a driver, the kind not often seen in the heat of battle. It shows an acute understanding of the situation and his own capabilities, and the fact is, he likely would have achieved a higher position had his team taken him seriously. After a series of long negotiations, Mercedes recently offered George a tentative two-year contract, demonstrating a lack of faith in him as a driver in the long term. Over 2025, he’s shown maturity both as a veteran teammate and mentor to Antonelli and as a competent, top-of-the-grid driver in his own right, whereas the team’s lack of confidence has cost them points. By the end of this year, Russell will be established as one of the drivers most underestimated by his own team.
