Lewis Hamilton has come to the defence of his Mercedes Formula 1 team-mate George Russell, saying his fellow Brit “can’t be faulted” amid negative social media comments being made against the #63 driver.
Russell is getting the best out of the Mercedes W15 package so far in 2024, sitting 14 points ahead of his more experienced team-mate after claiming the Brackley-based F1 outfit’s first podium of the season at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
The driver hailing from Kings Lynn has also out-qualified Hamilton a staggering eight times to one in 2024 with the seven-time champion regularly losing a step between FP3 and qualifying.
The disparity between Russell and Hamilton has led to a select group on social media buying into a wildish theory that Mercedes is deliberately favouring the driver it shall retain through 2025.
These theories have called for some to send abuse in Russell’s direction on social media and Hamilton sought to set the story straight.
“I think they know if you look over the years, we’ve always been a strong team,” he said on Thursday.
“We’ve always worked really hard together.
“I think it’s easy to get emotional. But I think it’s always… I even commented in the last race, for example, just about my performance.
“I think we need support, not negativity, and I wasn’t actually aware that George was experiencing negativity.
“George has done nothing but his best every single weekend and is delivering for the team, so he can’t be faulted at all.”
Hamilton, however, was clear in saying there’s room for improvement from Mercedes, but again he was adamant that this is a team effort.
The Brit was keen to adhere to a no-blame attitude when referring to his struggles in 2024 and instead wants to focus on ending his decade-plus tenure with the team on a positive note.
“Of course, there can always be things done better within the team, and that comes through conversation, through communication, and that’s something that we are consistently working on,” he said.
“But we’re all in the same boat. We’re all working hard together. We want to finish on a high and feel that we owe that to our long-term relationship that we’ve had.”
The Mercedes sabotaging conspiracy runs deeper than social media, with an anonymous email having been sent to select members of the F1 paddock, supposedly from within the team itself, claiming deliberate measures were being taken against Hamilton to undermine his performances.
Asked to comment on the startling development following the discussion of social media negativity, Hamilton said: “I just commented on it so not much more to add.
“I haven’t seen the email.”
