Martin Brundle now believes that Mercedes driver George Russell has the right level of confidence to lead the team once Lewis Hamilton departs.
After a fantastic debut campaign with Mercedes in 2022 where he secured his maiden win in Brazil, George Russell could only finish 8 in the Drivers’ Championship last year.
However, speaking on the Sky Sports F1 Podcast, Martin Brundle believes the 26-year-old is well-positioned to lead the team going forward.
Brundle backs Russell to have the confidence to lead Mercedes
The news that Lewis Hamilton will be joining Ferrari in 2025 has dominated headlines in the last few weeks.
It caught everyone by surprise, including Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.
The 39-year-old dominated Formula 1 for years with the Silver Arrows, but two years without a win appear to have played a part in him making one last switch before hanging up his racing gloves.
It means there are now a host of drivers bidding to replace him in one of the fastest cars on the grid.
Martin Brundle believes Esteban Ocon might be on their radar, while the man Lewis Hamilton is replacing – Carlos Sainz – is ‘gunning’ for his seat.
However, Brundle has talked up George Russell and believes he’s got the confidence to lead the team for years to come.
Wolff has a huge decision to make when deciding who his next driver should be.
A younger candidate such as Andrea Kimi Antonelli might benefit from Russell’s experience.
Or, he could opt for someone who is already close to their peak and hope that the pair can both immediately challenge for wins.
Russell could be Mercedes preferred driver as the 2024 season rolls on
Speaking about the future of Mercedes, Brundle said: “Do you know what? I see that everybody’s got an opportunity here.
“I think George Russell has got the shiny confidence, the talent, the speed, the experience to pick up the mantle and be the number one driver at Mercedes-Benz, I have no doubt about that at all.
“I think it’ll energise Mercedes losing Lewis [Hamilton] and it’s an opportunity for them.”
Russell needs to take the confidence Brundle has been talking about and carry that into the 2024 season.
The pressure will be on to prove he’s quick enough to lead the team in the future after Hamilton’s exit.
He’s got huge shoes to fill, but Wolff and Mercedes have been preparing Russell for this moment ever since he made his debut with Williams.
It also relies on the team delivering a car that can once again challenge for wins which simply didn’t happen in 2023.
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