Russell delivers shock verdict on Hamilton’s move to Ferrari

George Russell believes there is “no chance” Lewis Hamilton would have decided to leave the Mercedes team if it had maintained its current form.

Before the start of the campaign, Hamilton confirmed he would leave Mercedes at the end of the season and join Ferrari on a multi-year deal.

The move comes after two difficult seasons, in which Mercedes fell back down the pecking order after a period of dominance.

However, the Brackley-based team have made progress of late, allowing Hamilton to return to winning ways at the British Grand Prix earlier this month.

With momentum building, Russell suggested Hamilton would have taken a different approach had Mercedes reached their current level before the turn of the year.

“I don’t think he would have left if the team had played like that. He certainly wouldn’t have left, that’s for sure,” Russell said. Reuters.

“For 2026, the PU (powertrain) looks really strong and everything we’re doing with the fuels looks great and there’s a lot of optimism for us for the next couple of years.

“Even though the last few years have been difficult, we really feel like we’ve got it back on track now.”

Hamilton wants ‘the fastest possible car’

Hamilton’s move to Ferrari will see him end his 12-season stint with the Brackley-based team, with whom he won six world championships.

The Italian team started the year strongly but has seen a drop in performance in recent times.

While Russell understands Hamilton’s desire for a change of scenery before retiring from F1, he suspects the seven-time world champion would choose the fastest car available over any other option.

“I think everyone wants change at some point,” Russell said.

“He’s been here 12 years now, he’s accomplished a lot with the team. I think for him it’s exciting to have this change.

“But of course, if the team you’re currently with is winning races and everything looks good for the future, you just want to be in the fastest car possible, whatever colour it is.”