George Russell has likened Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari struggles to that of the second seat at Red Bull, saying sometimes it just doesn’t click.

Hamilton made headlines at the beginning of this year when the seven-time World Champion swapped Mercedes for Ferrari in search of that elusive eighth World title.

George Russell: It’s because Formula 1’s bloody difficult

But what was widely tipped to be a success story for the ages, has become a struggle, and one that shows no sign of abating.

Even Hamilton fears as much, telling the media including PlanetF1.com in Saudi Arabia: “At the moment there’s no fix, this is how it’s going to be for the rest of the year. It’s going to be painful.”

Pundits have poured over data and footage to analyse where exactly things have gone wrong, with set-up, driving style and braking all playing a part in the Briton’s troubles.

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Simply put, by his former team-mate Russell, he’s not clicking with the car and likened it to the same issues that Red Bull are having with Max Verstappen’s team-mates.

“It’s not clicking for him at the moment,” he said as per BBC, “but I’m sure it will click at one point.

“Sometimes you can just jump in and it clicks, and it’s straightforward. Other times, it doesn’t click.

“The second seat at Red Bull, why has that never worked out? It’s because Formula 1’s bloody difficult.

“You know, you’re going up against the best drivers in the world and Charles is one of the best in the world, in a team that he’s been for his whole career, in a car that he knows exactly how to get the most out of.”

Hamilton hasn’t been helped by Ferrari’s lack of pace, the Scuderia team-mates once again ruing the speed of the SF-25 as they qualified sixth and seventh for the Miami Sprint.

“When you’ve got a car beneath you that’s so good, you don’t have as much pressure,” Russell explained. “You can afford to drive at 98 per cent everywhere and still win the race.

“And if you’re not being challenged by the guy in the garage, in your own garage, everything’s just coming easy. You only see those mistakes creeping when there is a bit more pressure from within or the circumstances change.”

And pressure is one thing Leclerc is putting on Hamilton, the long-time Ferrari driver winning their head-to-head battles.

“Charles has also gone a bit under the radar this year. He’s having an immense season. He had a strong race in China with a broken front wing. He had a super-strong race in Bahrain and arguably the Safety Car stopped him from beating me. He could have had three podiums this season.

“Charles has been doing a mega job and you’d also be questioning Charles if a driver comes in and is on his pace straight away.”

Russell says it’s no wonder Hamilton is grinning from ear-to-ear in recent interviews.

“He’s a champion, he’s a winner, and he’s in a position where he can’t achieve that,” he said. “And it’s not easy to accept. If he was beaming with a big smile, you’d be questioning why he’s beaming with a big smile.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for him and I like him personally. It’s not nice to see somebody who’s not enjoying it.

“But why should he be enjoying it? Because for him it’s not about the money, it’s about the results.”

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