The former Formula 1 driver and today’s TV expert Johnny Herbert has commented on the tough contract poker around Lewis Hamilton and reassured those responsible. Should the 38-year-old actually leave the Silver Arrows at the end of the year, team boss Toto Wolff and Co. would not have to worry about a successor. Because the perfect replacement is already part of the racing team.
When will Lewis Hamilton finally extend his contract, which expires at the end of the current season? This question has occupied Formula 1 fans and experts alike for weeks and months. Mercedes, in the person of team boss Toto Wolff, and Hamilton himself have not tired of emphasizing for a long time that an agreement is only a matter of time, but even after a third of the Grands Prix nothing has happened.
So does the works team of the German car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz have to look around for a replacement? And who would qualify? Most recently, Charles Leclerc was traded in case Hamilton should go to Ferrari. But according to Johnny Herbert, the Silver Arrows already have the perfect replacement for the record world champion in their team.
“Mercedes is in a very fortunate position because we all know very well what George Russell can do,” Herbert told the OLBG betting platform about the hesitant 38-year-old’s colleague. Last year, Russell clearly outperformed his British rival in the drivers’ standings, finishing fourth with 275 points, while Hamilton had to settle for sixth (240 points).
“Russell is the future no matter what we think of Hamilton who we know is still good enough to win races,” explained Herbert.
Formula 1: Russell “brings Mercedes what they need”
Therefore, as the 1995 World Cup fourth-placed: “Russell is more than capable of being the driver who gives Mercedes what they need and who will be very useful to them in the future.”
In a sport.de-Survey with thousands of participants, 57 percent believe that Russell will win the team duel at Mercedes this year, 43 percent vote for Hamilton.
After seven races, Russell is currently fifth in the drivers’ standings with 65 points, twelve points behind Hamilton, who claims fourth place.
The record world champion did not want to answer any questions about his future before the start of the Grand Prix weekend in Canada (June 16 – 18).