Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen may have stolen the headlines at the Las Vegas Grand Prix but Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton was the driver of the day.
Mercedes were in a fantastic position going into the Las Vegas Grand Prix with George Russell starting on pole position.
The British driver was imperious in the build-up to qualifying and many were expecting teammate Lewis Hamilton to be fighting to start from first heading into Q3.
However, the issues that have plagued Mercedes for years cropped up once again and two mistakes meant Hamilton had to recover from P10.
That’s exactly what the seven-time world champion did, managing to leapfrog both McLaren and Ferrari drivers to finish 2nd to Russell.
At one point, Hamilton was upset that he had encountered plenty of traffic, but the strategy ended up working out in his favour.
He was extremely quick and had superior race pace to Russell in his final stint, closing the gap before a late mistake ended his chance of securing a spectacular victory.
Hamilton friends and family have been suspicious of Mercedes’ treatment of him as his time with the team comes to an end, but they delivered when it came to setting up his car in Las Vegas.
The 39-year-old took to Instagram to celebrate his and Russell’s result and McLaren driver Lando Norris sent his message of congratulations.
Norris had already responded to Max Verstappen winning the championship and on a rare day when McLaren were off the pace, was publicly delighted for his rivals.
Lando Norris and George Russell message Lewis Hamilton after the Las Vegas Grand Prix
Hamilton and Russell drove brilliantly and while they had to overcome different challenges to finish on the podium, it was a very encouraging result for a team who have struggled to understand why their car has been quick or slow for years.
After his display in Las Vegas, Hamilton said: “From 10 to [two].
“Always a good time fighting up the grid. Well done to George for the win and to the team for all the work to get us to a 1-2.
“Definitely didn’t expect the result, and it’s a real testament to how much time, effort and teamwork goes into this. 2 races left, let’s keep this momentum and end on a high.”
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Russell replied to his teammate’s post and said: “Great race man! Proud to be up there with you!!” while Norris simply said: “Mega race mate.”
George Russell preparing to step out of Lewis Hamilton’s shadow at Mercedes next season
After three seasons at Williams and three campaigns alongside Hamilton and Mercedes, Russell will be the lead driver at a team potentially capable of winning plenty of races.
Russell may have been inexperienced during his time at Williams, but quickly proved he was quick enough to deserve a seat at Mercedes.
This year, he’s outshone Hamilton – who holds the record for pole positions in Formula 1 – in qualifying, leading their head-to-head record 17-5.
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Russell will be hoping that Mercedes can finally understand their car’s performance with the updated 2025 version that is currently being developed at their factory in Brackley.
He also has the added challenge of rookie Kimi Antonelli joining him within the team.
While Russell will be expecting to beat the young Italian, he will also have to make up for the loss of knowledge within Mercedes with Hamilton departing to Ferrari.
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