Hamilton won't be surprised by Russell

Lewis Hamilton will have George Russell as his new teammate at Mercedes next season. The Briton will succeed Valtteri Bottas who will join Alfa Romeo in 2022. Although Russell is very talented, Michael Schmidt does not expect him to outperform Hamilton.

In the past Russell has shown with that he is capable of great performances with Mercedes. When he stepped in for Hamilton in 2020, he outperformed Bottas, and would've won the race if not for the team's strategy, and a late puncture. Furthermore, he has delivered this season with Williams. While the Williams car was the eighth or ninth quickest car in 2021, Russell still managed to score sixteen points, and qualified in the top three twice.

Schmidt, from Auto, Motor und Sport, therefore thinks that Russell will live up to the expectations at Mercedes, but will have a hard time doing so straight away in his first season. "My belief is that Hamilton is better prepared for Russell than Alonso was for Hamilton in the past," Schmidt revealed. "Lewis remembers that year well and therefore realises what mistakes he needs to avoid. In addition, he is incredibly good at one-on-one duels."

Hamilton has another chance to grab his eighth world title in 2022. The seven-time world champion still shares the record with Michael Schumacher, but will hope to change that next season.