Russell expects Hamilton departure to ‘spark a lot of motivation’ at Mercedes

George Russell says the departure of Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes is such a big change that it will “spark a lot of motivation” as the team enters a new era. Hamilton completed his final race for Mercedes in Abu Dhabi earlier this month, ahead of his move to Ferrari in 2025. The switch means Mercedes will not have Hamilton as part of its line-up for the first time since 2012, when it ran Michael Schumacher alongside Nico Rosberg. Russell believes the departure serves as a reminder of what has been achieved, but also offers a fresh start. “We had a do on Thursday night altogether, looking back on some of his memories, and I think as painful as these three years have been, I think seeing all of these memories as well reminds the team that we can do it,” Russell said. “We have the same team as was there during Lewis’s glory years. “And Lewis even said after the debrief, everyone had their head in their hands after what happened in qualifying, but he said ‘Look, let’s stand tall and not forget of all these pole positions and wins that we’ve had together’. I think it’s been a very nice way to finish this season. “It has been a tough three years, and I think this change for everyone is really going to spark a lot of motivation for everyone. And I think sometimes change is really much needed.” Russell said his own personal lessons learned from Hamilton are less based on his driving abilities and more the way the seven-time world champion has carried himself as one of Formula 1’s leading figures. “To be honest, just seeing first hand what a role model he is,” Russell said. “I recognize from Lewis that we’ve all got this platform, and we have to use it correctly. That’s become even more apparent to me when, with my young niece and nephews watching TikTok and YouTube and Netflix. I spend a bit of time with Toto ’s son, he and his friends see Netflix and all of this stuff. “And how you deal with the victories, how you deal with the losses, you inspire the young kids, and… when I look back to that photo I had of Lewis and I when I was a kid, I looked up to him, the same way as all these kids look up to us. I think that’s probably been the biggest life lesson that I’ve learned from him, that sometimes, even if you want to really express something, there’s hundreds of millions of people watching, and the way do you it is important.”