Russell breaks silence on Hamilton’s departure from Mercedes
George Russell says Lewis Hamilton’s departure to Ferrari was the right move for everyone involved, insisting Mercedes needed a “fresh start” to move forward.
After 12 years and six world titles with the Silver Arrows, Hamilton left at the end of 2024 to pursue a late-career challenge at Ferrari, while teenager Andrea Kimi Antonelli was chosen to take the vacant seat at the German squad.
Reflecting on the change, Russell admitted the team feels different without Hamilton, but argued that the reset was necessary. “It’s good for him. It’s really good for us as a team; a fresh start,” he told Motorsport.com.
“Sometimes you need to break that mould to find yourself back on track," added Russell now the de facto team leader, Antonelli has space to learn alongside him.
Russell sees Hamilton-Antonelli swap as the best move for Mercedes' F1 future
Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari hasn’t been seamless. At 40, the Briton has struggled to adapt to his new surroundings, with a sprint victory in China the main highlight of a difficult start to life in red.
Still, Hamilton’s eyes are firmly on 2026, when the new regulations could reset the competitive order, however this does not come without its challenges.
For Mercedes, Russell is now focused on results rather than nostalgia. Despite a strong start to 2025 followed by a dip in form, the Briton believes that his rookie teammate Antonelli can bounce back and has faith in the driver line up change positioning the team well for the future.
“Ultimately, you only look towards one thing, which is the performance,” Russell said, signalling a new chapter for Brackley after the Hamilton era.
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