F1 pundit Ted Kravitz has insisted that there is a reason why George Russell might beat Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton this season.
The seven-time world champion produced his best drive of the season at last weekend's Australian Grand Prix and led Red Bull rival Max Verstappen until a red flag halted his progress. Once they re-started Hamilton was defenceless against the speed of Verstappen who took his second win from three races.
Russell has qualified better than his Silver Arrows team-mate in all three races this season but found himself under attack from Hamilton while leading at Albert Park in Melbourne.
A frustrated Russell voiced his anger on the radio: “You're asking me to manage and I'm being attacked by my team-mate!”
Verstappen's afternoon was impacted by an ill-fated pit stop under a safety car period dropping him down the field, moments before the race was red-flagged giving his rivals a free stop.
The Silver Arrows showed signs of challenging Red Bull early in the race, which they had failed to do in the opening two rounds. Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has backed Hamilton after he publicly criticised his team.
The seven-time world champion has accused the Silver Arrows engineers of ignoring his input in the W14 design process this winter. Pundit Kravitz believes that if Hamilton can't continue to match Verstappen's pace then Russell might take advantage.
"It's why we really want to see Mercedes challenging for the championship with Red Bull," Kravitz told the Sky Sports F1 Podcast. "Because then we can see championship-challenging George Russell against championship-challenging Lewis Hamilton – when they've actually got something to go for.
"That's what I want to see, to get the absolute best out of Lewis. I don't know this for sure, but I imagine, if I was Lewis Hamilton and I wasn't in for the championship, I'd be like, 'well, I'm not going for the championship so if George beats me, I don't really care'. You could reflect on 2022 like that.
"We've seen in the past that Lewis takes a step up when he's challenging for the championship."
Last season Mercedes failed to trouble Red Bull for the drivers' or construction championship with Verstappen taking 15 victories from the 22 Grand Prix rounds. Hamilton recorded nine podiums but went without a race win - for the first season in his F1 career.
Russell had a standout first year at Mercedes leading a one-two for Mercedes at the Brazilian Grand Prix and finishing above Hamilton in the drivers' championship.
