George Russell once again completely outshone Lewis Hamilton in qualifying for the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Friday night. Russell took his third pole position of the 2024 season, while Hamilton was only 10th.
The Mercedes drivers looked like the two main contenders for pole after splitting the first five sessions of the weekend between them. Hamilton topped FP1, FP2 and Q2, while Russell was quickest in FP3 and Q1.
But when it mattered, only one of them delivered. Russell outpaced Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz by just under a tenth of a second to secure top spot, while Hamilton faltered on both of his laps and didn’t set a representative time.
Russell extended his qualifying advantage over Hamilton to a stunning 17-5. Only Max Verstappen (21-1 vs Sergio Perez) and Lando Norris (19-3 vs Oscar Piastri) have been more dominant against their teammates.
The former Williams driver has quietly extracted the maximum from his W15 almost every weekend. Hamilton’s season, meanwhile, has been much more volatile, with a few impressive highs outnumbered by a series of brutal lows.
There are only three races remaining in their partnership, which began in 2022. Hamilton is moving to Ferrari to link up with Charles Leclerc, while Russell is staying put and could lead the team next to Kimi Antonelli.
George Russell says Lewis Hamilton needs to ‘change the mould’ after Mercedes struggles
Speaking to ESPN earlier in the weekend, Russell explained why Hamilton’s departure could actually be a ‘positive’ for all involved. He thinks the seven-time world champion may need a change after suffering through the last three years, just like everybody else at Brackley.
Mercedes won eight consecutive constructors’ titles between 2014 and 2021. But they’ve only taken four victories since the start of F1’s ground effect era in 2022.
In Russell’s eyes, Hamilton will be invigorated by the prospect of a ‘fresh start’ at Ferrari. And likewise, Antonelli’s arrival could energise the Mercedes team.
“To be honest, I think it’s going to be – for Lewis, for me, for the team – a positive change for everyone,” he said. “Those guys have been through so much success together and they’ve got so many memories.
“These last three years, it just hasn’t been working for any of us. Changing that mould, for him, what an opportunity – a fresh start. That’s going to give him a lot of motivation. We’ve got Kimi joining the team, young kid on the block, he’s fully motivated.”
Why Lewis Hamilton’s ‘family and friends’ are wrong about Mercedes ahead of Ferrari move
Hamilton’s Ferrari team is yet to take shape. Of course, he’s bound to inherit many of Carlos Sainz’s existing mechanics and engineers, but the key race engineer appointment is still to be finalised.
Team principal Fred Vasseur surprised Ted Kravitz by admitting that he doesn’t know if Riccardo Adami will support Hamilton. Adami has previously been the voice on the radio for Sainz and Sebastian Vettel.
Hamilton will have to adapt to an entirely new way of working at Maranello after spending his entire career at British-based teams. But a shake-up may actually help him given that he’s fallen into a malaise.
Hamilton’s family and friends think Mercedes are holding him back this year as an effective punishment for his exit. But that wouldn’t be in their interests for a myriad of reasons, not least of which their points tally in the constructors’ championship.
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