Lewis Hamilton Backed to Put Ferrari Struggles Behind Him And Show His F1 'Magic' By Former Teammate

Lewis Hamilton has not had a fairytale start to his Formula 1 career at Ferrari so far, despite a win in the sprint race of the Chinese GP being an obvious highlight. By and large, he has been the team's second-best driver behind Charles Leclerc. 

His inconsistent showings have led to many questioning whether his career has already seen its best days, with others speculating over who could potentially replace him. 

However, one driver who is still backing Hamilton to come good at the Scuderia is his former Mercedes teammate George Russell. 

Russell Backs Hamilton to Shine

Speaking to reporters ahead of the Saudi Arabian GP weekend, Russell believes the grid will see more magic from Hamilton soon. 

"We saw it in China, second race of the season, on pole in the Sprint, wins the race comfortably. I know what he’s capable of, and it’s not easy going into a new team and the competition is tough, but he’s an amazing driver and I’m sure, when things start to click, as they did in China, we’ll see more of that magic," Russell said. 

He further called his former teammate an amazing driver and human being. 

"After Fernando [Alonso] he’s the most experienced driver on the grid, a seven-time World Champion and he’s an incredible person and racing driver."

Russell's Ascension to Mercedes Team Lead

Russell has, however, benefitted from Hamilton leaving and has comfortably become the team's lead driver. 

He has made a promising start to the 2025 season, scoring podiums in 3 out of the four races that have taken place so far.

He finished 3rd in Australia and China, managed a fifth-place finish in Japan and then followed up with an impressive 2nd at Bahrain. 

And he is set to be rewarded for those performances too. A new report suggests that Russell is set to sign a new two-year deal with an option for a third year - a deal that would be worth 30 million euros per year.