George Russell’s F1 credentials questioned: “Lewis Hamilton had too much on him”
Is George Russell the right driver to deliver Mercedes world championship success? Eddie Jordan doesn't think so.
Legendary F1 team boss Eddie Jordan has questioned George Russell’s credentials of being Mercedes’ team leader when Lewis Hamilton departs at the end of 2024.
Russell will become the de facto number one driver when Hamilton joins Ferrari next year.
The former Williams driver out-scored Hamilton during his first year with the team in 2022, becoming only the third driver to do so - alongside Jenson Button (2011) and Nico Rosberg (2016).
2023 was trickier for Russell, who slumped to a disappointing eighth in the championship standings.
Speaking on the latest episode of the Formula for Success podcast, Jordan is unsure Russell is capable of winning a world championship in the next couple of seasons.
"Let’s be honest, George Russell has won one Grand Prix," Jordan said. "Do I think he can be a world champion next year or the year after? I just think that Lewis had too much on him.
"When Lewis didn’t quite have the car that he wanted at the beginning of the year, George was able to drive around that.
"Lewis didn’t bother because, not that he didn’t bother, but he just didn’t feel that the car was good enough to be able to do the job."
Jordan believes Hamilton’s personal upturn in form was one of the catalysts for his shock switch to Ferrari in 2025.
"But, nevertheless, as the season progressed, Lewis got his mojo together. And he made us all look up and say, ‘Hmm, maybe Lewis still has it’.
"And I think that because of the change in fortune, that’s why he went to Ferrari."
