Toto Wolff: George Russell much stronger than Lewis Hamilton on "pure pace" in 2024

Toto Wolff rated George Russell above Lewis Hamilton during the latter's final season with Mercedes in 2024. He mentioned that Russell has showcased incredible development since joining the team and was also serving his role as the senior driver.

Russell made his full-time F1 debut with Williams Racing in the 2019 season. Mercedes signed him as Valtteri Bottas's replacement in 2022, and he has continued with the team since. Having won multiple races, he puts himself among the more competitive drivers out on the grid. Moreover, he has also shown a massive improvement in overall performance and racecraft in his years with Mercedes.

Team boss Toto Wolff backed this as he appreciated his driver, via Autosport:

"When I look at George, the development he's made since he joined Formula 1 from the fast kiddo in Williams, and then being drafted into Mercedes, clearly with the greatest of all greats, with Lewis Hamilton," Wolff said.

Wolff also mentioned that Russell had become the stronger driver against Lewis Hamilton in the 2024 F1 season.

"And you've seen already last year he started to be so strong on pure pace – in terms of the results, the stronger driver. And now with Lewis having gone to Ferrari he's taken the senior driver slot, and it completely came naturally and he delivers."

Hamilton moved to Ferrari, and his seat was filled by Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the youngest driver on the grid. With him, George Russell is the senior driver on the team. He has been driving rather consistently this season, with a victory in Canada paired with five other podium finishes.

On the other hand, Lewis Hamilton has been struggling with Ferrari. P4 has been his best finish this season, where he put the SF-25 three times; however, he has seemingly been losing confidence in the car in the recent rounds.

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Lewis Hamilton "needs to remember" that he is the "greatest": Wolff

Lewis Hamilton during the 2025 F1 Hungarian Grand Prix weekend (Getty Images)

Lewis Hamilton was dejected after his qualifying exit in Hungary earlier last week, to the point that he was noted telling the media that Ferrari needed to change the driver, considering the other car was in pole position.

However, Toto Wolff mentioned that he has always been transparent about his emotions and that he needed to remember that he was the "greatest of all time."

"He's emotionally transparent since he was a young boy and adult, so he is going to beat himself up. He is the GOAT, and he will always be the GOAT, and nobody is going to take that away, and for sure not a single weekend or race season that has not gone to plan," Wolff said, via RacingNews365.

"It is something that he needs to remember, that he is the greatest of all time."

Hamilton's performance is expected to improve after the summer break; however, it can be a little tough to rely on, considering the team is not planning any major upgrades. Their last upgrades seemingly worked for Charles Leclerc, but Lewis Hamilton would have to spend more time behind the wheel to understand the workings of the SF-25.