George Russell says the departure of Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes is such a big change that it will “spark 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 his move to Ferrari in 2025. The switch means Mercedes will not have Hamilton as part of its line-up for the first time since 2012, when it ran Michael Schumacher alongside Nico Rosberg. Russell believes the departure serves as a reminder of what has been achieved, but also offers a fresh start.
“We had a do on Thursday night altogether, looking back on some of his memories, and I think as painful as these three years have been, I think seeing all of these memories as well reminds the team that we can do it,” Russell said. “We have the same team as was there during Lewis’s glory years.
“And Lewis even said after the debrief, everyone had their head in their hands after what happened in qualifying, but he said ‘Look, let’s stand tall and not forget of all these pole positions and wins that we’ve had together’. I think it’s been a very nice way to finish this season.