Mercedes had the perfect weekend at the Las Vegas Grand Prix with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton securing their first legitimate one-two finish of the season.
George Russell led Lewis Hamilton home at Spa earlier in the year, before he was disqualified as his Mercedes was underweight.
The Las Vegas Grand Prix was the perfect venue for Toto Wolff’s team to prove they could win races and dominate the rest of the grid and they proved to be unstoppable during Saturday night’s race.
Russell put his car on pole position and Hamilton should have at least secured a top-three start were it not for two mistakes he made in Q3.
Instead, he battled past both McLaren and Ferrari drivers as well as Max Verstappen as he secured his fourth title to join Russell at the front of the pack.
However, the combination of Russell and Hamilton in the Silver Arrows will only last for two more races.
Hamilton joins Ferrari in 2025 and will be replaced by highly-rated rookie Kimi Antonelli.
Russell spoke to Sky Sports F1 after the race about the challenge that Antonelli faces, before speaking in the official post-race press conference about what all the rookies joining the grid in 2025.
George Russell gives advice to Kimi Antonelli after winning the Las Vegas Grand Prix
Russell was asked whether he will be expected to be Mercedes’ team leader next year and said: “Kimi is a kid but he’s very mature when it comes to racing. He knows his stuff.
“It’s going to be a fresh start for all of us. That’s going to be so good.
“Even for Lewis, these three years, it’s been tough for all of us and we need that change, he needs that change, I think we need that change.
“Bringing Kimi in will bring some fresh energy, he’s going to keep me on my toes, he bloomin’ fast and come the first race he would have probably done the most amount of testing of any rookie ever.
“But I feel confident, I’ve had a seven-time world champion as my teammate for the last three years, so I’m feeling good.”
READ MORE: Who is 2025 Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli? Everything to know
In the official post-race press conference, Russell was asked if he had any advice for young drivers coming through, including Antonelli and said: “Enjoy it, to be honest. It’s such a special moment.
“For all of us, it’s like every step of your journey, you’re climbing a ladder.
“And when you reach F1, that’s a huge step and huge pride. And sort of cherish those moments.
“The driving, to be honest, is probably the easiest part of the job. It’s everything else that comes with Formula 1.
“There’s a lot more attention versus F2. It’s a big leap in that regard. But just enjoy it.”
George Russell proved his lead driver credentials at the Las Vegas Grand Prix
Mercedes have had nine months to prepare for Hamilton’s departure and that’s involved getting Antonelli as ready as possible for his debut at next year’s Australian Grand Prix.
Antonelli has impressed in private tests, but stepping up onto the F1 grid is a completely different challenge.
Russell is much less experienced than Hamilton but has proved this season that he’s at a similar level to the seven-time world champion right now.
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He’s outperformed Hamilton in qualifying throughout the campaign, with a 17-5 winning record against the 104-pole position driver.
Russell and Hamilton have very different approaches to feedback and Mercedes know they’re going to lose a lot of knowledge when the 39-year-old departs.
Their new lead driver needs to find the right balance between taking up the challenge of replacing Hamilton and helping nurture Antonelli into the superstar Mercedes believe he can become.
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