George Russell claims Lewis Hamilton's departure was good for Mercedes

George Russell feels Lewis Hamilton's departure has been good both for Mercedes and the driver himself, as it gave them a fresh start. The 7x F1 champion shocked the world last season when he announced that he would be leaving the team at the end of the season.

The driver was pursuing a new challenge where he would be leaving Mercedes for Ferrari. As a result, a partnership that began in 2013 when Lewis Hamilton moved from McLaren to the German squad would come to an end.

Since Lewis Hamilton has left Mercedes for Ferrari, George Russell has taken over the role of team leader within the squad. It's been a different version of him both on track and off it, as the driver has become a pivotal part of the team and a spearhead as well.

Talking to Motorsport, George Russell felt that Lewis Hamilton's departure came at the right time for both the driver and the team. The partnership had continued for more than a decade, and it was about time that both sides looked for a fresher perspective. Talking about the squad this season, he said,

"There's definitely a different feeling within the team. But ultimately, you only look at one thing, and that's performance. Obviously, we started very well. Now we've had a period of poor form. I hope we can get back on track, but there are always pros and cons to any change you make in any organization."

He added,

"But I think the change happened with Lewis. It's good for him. It's really good for us as a team: a fresh start. Sometimes you need to break the mold to get back on track."

George Russell comes out in defense of Lewis Hamilton's replacement

George Russell has teamed up this season with Kimi Antonelli. The young Italian teenager is still very young and new to the sport. He impressed in the first race of the season, where he finished P4.

There have been a few high points in his young career for sure, but there's also been some criticism coming his way because of the drop in form in recent races. Russell felt that such a narrative was inappropriate, as he said,

"The fact is, for me, his gap isn't any different. I think that's what people don't see," Russell explained. "In Canada, I was on pole and he qualified fourth, but he was six tenths behind me. In Belgium, he was out in Q1 and I made it to Q3, but he was only three tenths behind me."

He added,

"People only look at the result, but the truth is that he's still making progress, even if we as a team have fallen back. But suddenly you find yourself in a situation where a tenth can mean six or seven places on the grid, whereas before, for the positions we were fighting for, a tenth was more or less one place. In the last few races, Kimi and I have taken the same step back."

With Lewis Hamilton now gone. Mercedes seemingly has a new leader in George Russell, who has taken over at the helm quite seamlessly. The next phase is crucial for the Brit, as it would be interesting to see how Kimi Antonelli performs once he's matured enough.