'Russell will often be a thorn in Hamilton's side'

Lewis Hamilton did not have an easy time-fighting Max Verstappen this season. The Dutchman often bothered his rival and eventually took the world title. With George Russell, however, Hamilton faces a new challenge.

In recent years, Hamilton had little to fear from Valtteri Bottas. His former teammate showed good work at Mercedes, but could not keep up with Hamilton in terms of speed. With Russell in the ranks, the German racing team hopes that this problem is solved and that both drivers can compete for the world title.

The situation could be positive for Mercedes, but history shows that this is not always the case. If Russell proves to be competitive to Hamilton, the youngster could thwart his teammate on the circuits where Mercedes has the faster car. Lawrence Barretto also thinks that Russell will prove himself in 2022.

"Russell has shown enough so far, in my opinion, to suggest that not only will he hit the ground running in testing and be on the pace before the season is a third old," the journalist writes on the official website of Formula 1. "He will frequently be a thorn in Hamilton’s side, which will only serve to drive them both on."