George Russell said he was "impressed" by the way Lewis Hamilton helped to keep spirits high at Mercedes despite a gruelling season.
Having dominated the Formula 1 world for the previous eight seasons, the Silver Arrows suffered a setback this year. Mercedes got their development wrong for this new generation of cars and that left them playing catch-up for the rest of the campaign.
It meant Russell did not get the plethora of opportunities to win races that he might have been expecting. In fact he managed it just once, on a red-letter day for Mercedes in Brazil, while Hamilton failed to win a race all season – the first time that has ever happened to the seven-time world champion in F1.
But even though he was unable to deliver a victory on the track, Hamilton still played a major role in keeping the team motivated. Russell explained as much as he reflected on how he and his new team-mate gelled in 2022.
"The relationship has been harmonious," said the younger Brit in an interview distributed by Mercedes. "What impressed me the most with Lewis is seeing how he works with the team.
"How he gets the most out of the people around him, how he continues to keep morale high when moments are tough and, ultimately, what I already knew is how damn fast he is and how much of a challenge it is being teammates with a guy like him."
Despite rarely being in contention for victory, Russell's debut season with Mercedes is widely regarded as having been a success. With a less competitive car than expected, the mission was to score as many points and be as consistent as possible – and he smashed it.
Russell finished in the top five at 19 of the 22 races and suffered just one DNF, at Silverstone when he was taken out in a big crash involving several drivers at the first corner. That consistency helped him to finish fourth in the standings, ahead of Carlos Sainz who had a fast albeit less reliable Ferrari and 35 points clear of Hamilton in sixth.
Looking ahead to his sophomore year with Mercedes, Russell said: "Knowing the potential that we have within this team makes me excited for 2023. It is no secret how fantastic this operation is in Brackley and Brixworth and what the whole team is capable of. Obviously after a setback such as 2022 it's really exciting knowing that we have the possibility to come back through and fight again in 2023."
