"I just don’t see as fun a side of him"- Being Lewis Hamilton's 'teammate' and Mercedes' extra 'pressure' made George Russell a 'different' person, hints Lando Norris

George Russell's demeanor and attitude has changed ever since he moved to Mercedes, feels Lando Norris.

Russell started his F1 career with backmarker Williams, with whom he raced for three seasons before replacing Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes in 2022.

George Russell now drives alongside Lewis Hamilton and it seems he has become a different person under the pressure of performing at Hamilton's level.

In an interview with the Independent in the UK, Lando Norris said:

"My manager, my trainer, my parents, have always tried to keep me as me, rather than try to shape me. I see other drivers get shaped more because of who they are with, the teams they are with, and I don't think that is a good thing. It takes away their personality."

Norris went on to add:

"Growing up with George [Russell], for instance, was a lot of fun. He was a great person, but it is different at Mercedes – a different vibe and a different atmosphere. I just don’t see as fun a side of him. George is a great person, and I feel like the personality he had a few years ago, he would be even more popular."

The 24-year-old has been able to rise to the challenge of driving for Mercedes with an extremely decorated F1 driver as his teammate. George Russell has three podium finishes this season and has been in the top five in 10 out of 11 races so far in 2022.

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George Russell fears losing to Lewis Hamilton and subsequently losing his Mercedes seat

George Russell is fearful that he may lose his Silver Arrows seat if he fails to perform at the level expected of him. Speaking about his move to Mercedes at the start of 2022 on the Beyond the Grid podcast, George Russell said:

“Signing a piece of paper to join the greatest team of this era, without doubt, is obviously a huge moment. But if I don’t perform, and I go and get my ass kicked by the greatest driver of all time, what does it mean? Because I’ll probably be out the door.”

Russell went on to add:

“It was a huge moment, it was a huge step on my ladder, but it’s sort of like the image of the guy climbing the mountain; he thinks he’s at the top and then he looks up and the peak’s miles away, and then you get there, and there’s another peak. That’s kind of the way I looked at it. There’s a lot to be to celebrated for a moment like that, but I want to be a World Champion, and I want to win races, and signing that contract didn’t guarantee anything.”

Heading into the 2022 F1 French GP, Russell is in P5 in the World Drivers' Championship standings with 128 points. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton is 19 points behind him in P6.