'Only one team-mate can win the world championship'

Lewis Hamiton will continue to drive for Mercedes in the coming years, but the big question remains which driver will sit next to him from next season. While Valtteri Bottas has been his teammate in recent years, George Russell seems to have a good chance of taking that position.

The Finnish driver has received a lot of criticism for his performance in recent seasons. Although Hamilton has managed to win the world title every season, Bottas just hasn't been able stay close to his teammate. Mika Hakkinen thinks the criticism, however, is unjustified, as he explains in his column on Autosport.com.

Division of roles at Mercedes

The former driver points out the importance of a clear division of roles within a team. "Only one team-mate can win the world championship, and to do that they usually have to win more races than everyone else - this includes beating the guy sharing the garage with them. When you are both in the same car that battle is never easy."

"As Lewis’ team-mate he has the most formidable competitor beside him. It has been unbelievable to watch how calm, controlled and determined Valtteri has remained, how hard he has continued to work despite the challenge - and easy criticisms. He just focuses on attacking each weekend as hard as he can, giving the best of himself for the team."