Mercedes wants to avoid Hamilton-Rosberg like volatile relationship when Russell arrives

Defending World Champion Lewis Hamilton has welcomed young British driver Geroge Russell to the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team after the official announcement was made by the club on September 7. Hamilton took to his Twitter handle, to welcome Russell and said that the hard work put by him has earned him the spot. Nico Rosberg, who was teammates with Lewis Hamilton from 2013-16 is well aware of what it feels like to team up with the seven-time Drivers' Champion and the two shared a heated rivalry. The 2016 F1 champion insists that the rivalry at Mercedes F1 is likely to be more heated with Russell in the other seat. Mercedes' Team Principal Toto Wolff is anxious to avoid a repeat of the intense relationship between Rosberg and Hamilton.

Speaking to Formula1.com Wolff said, "He’s [Russell has] proven that he deserves to have a seat in a top car and now we need to get him properly adjusted into the Mercedes situation… there’s a lot more pressure, he’s having an unbelievable teammate with the biggest records and there it’s important that you condition him and you calibrate him in the right way. We’ve seen situations in the past where they’ve failed; Lewis was part of one where I think the team didn’t quite understand how it could potentially go. and I think we’re maybe a little bit better prepared for that situation but nevertheless, he has all the ambition to be a future world champion and so has Lewis, to add another one, so it’s about calibration."

Wolff will work with Russell to help him realise his dreams

The team boss did add that he is not going to try and stamp out Russell's ambition to win Grand Prix's with Mercedes but instead work with the youngster to help him realise those ambitions and also make sure the relationship between Hamilton and him stays civil.

"I think you have to respect also the other guy’s perspective and ambition,” said Wolff. “We are not going to put a driver in the car who is not going to have the ambition to do as good as possible to kick his teammate as hard as he can, win races and championships early too, and that’s clear. So I can put myself into his perspective, so I’m trying to discuss with him what that means for the team dynamic, what it could mean, how we need to keep the momentum in the team. And he’s very intelligent, he gets that."

Lastly, Wolff said that he thinks the team would be satisfied if they would be in the top three in terms of the car package competing for victories. He added that Russell would get the same treatment that Hamilton receives.

"That’s always our ambition, that we are right there over the long term, this is the winning recipe, and if we have a car that we can develop if we are able to go for the championship, then absolutely, he has the same car that has Lewis, he has the pace, in qualifying he is very, very fast, and I’m sure it’s going to be fine," said Wolff.

(Image: AP/@gerorgerussell/Twitter)