Hill: 'If Lewis gets the chance he'll be back in top form in no time'

According to Damon Hill, it is a deliberate strategy by Lewis Hamilton to let George Russell take the lead a bit more within Mercedes at the moment. In the F1 Nation podcast, Hill analyses the current state of Mercedes and compares the attitude of both teammates.

According to Hill, the biggest difference between Russell and Hamilton at the moment is that Russell still has more to prove himself. His older teammate can therefore slow down, something Hill says fits well with the pattern Hamilton has shown in recent years.

"George has to work very hard, he has to make himself a valued asset of the team, he is doing that really well," analyses the former world champion. "At the same time, he is the one who has to do all of the hard work. Lewis doesn't have to. They know what they have got with Lewis. They know given half a sniff of a chance, Lewis is going to be back on top form and can deliver those extraordinary races. They know George can do that but he is yet to prove that. In the last few years, even with Valtteri, Lewis has taken what appears to be a relaxed approach to the start of the season and let's things unfold. When he sees a chance, he steps on the gas and disappears into the distance."

Older drivers are more race-focused, according to Hill

In the first three races of the season, Russell always managed to qualify faster than Hamilton, but in the races one was not yet clearly better than the other. According to Hill - who was 31 on his debut in the sport - this is a logical consequence of the drivers' age.

"The older more experienced driver is faced with the speed of a young rival in the team. They have an option. They can get depressed about it and throw their hands in the air and say it's all over. Or they can devote their energy to making sure the outcome in the race is the thing that matters. They may give up in qualifying a little bit and accept in their late 30s they can no longer do those absurd laps they used to do in their 20s and they can focus on getting somewhere in the race."