George Russell, according to Fernando Alonso, will have to wait before challenging Lewis Hamilton for the top spot at Mercedes.
Several pundits have predicted “fireworks” when Russell replaces Hamilton next season, with the eager young Briton expected to be more feisty than Valtteri Bottas.
Russell might even be a World Championship contender in his first year with Mercedes, according to team principal Toto Wolff, because the brand-new cars will put him on a more even playing field with Hamilton than if he joined this season, for example.
As a triple World Champion, Alonso understands what it’s like to have an enthusiastic young buck as a teammate, despite the fact that both Hamilton and Alonso were rookies in Formula One when they joined McLaren in 2007.
Throughout that year, Hamilton showed no indications of inexperience, as the two drivers competed for the world championship and finished one point behind eventual champion Kimi Raikkonen.
Despite the fact that Alonso has become a self-confessed fan of Russell as a driver, having first seen him race for Williams while on a sabbatical from F1, the younger Briton does not seem to be a threat to his compatriot’s Mercedes authority.
“In those two years when I watched the races, what George achieved with Williams – even if he was not in the headlights – was very impressive,” said Alonso during an interview with the PA news agency.
“But in terms of beating Lewis, I don’t know how it will work.
“Even if George has been impressive, Lewis is the legend, a great champion and it is never going to be easy to beat him. It doesn’t matter how talented you are.
“For sure, it will be closer than it has been with Valtteri, but Lewis will be the main preference in the early part of the championship for Mercedes, no doubt.”
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