Why George Russell Should Replace Lewis Hamilton in 2022

The rumor mill is running at full steam following George Russell's incredible performance on his debut weekend with Mercedes. Most suggest that George will take Valtteri Bottas' seat in 2022. With impending budget caps coming in the next few seasons, perhaps it is Lewis Hamilton's seat that should be occupied by George Russell in 2022.

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George Russell speaks with Lewis Hamilton

George Russell was called in to take Lewis Hamilton's place at the Sakhir GP after Hamilton tested positive for COVID-19. Russell was fastest in the first two practice sessions, his first outings in the car; and qualified in second, just 0.026 seconds behind teammate Valtteri Bottas.

In the race, Russell led from the start until lap 62, when a radio error led to a pitstop nightmare that put him back to 5th. He spent the rest of the race chasing down race leader Sergio Perez until a puncture with 10 laps to go sent Russell back down the order once again. He would ultimately end up 9th, just behind Bottas and set the fastest lap of the race. Despite his poor luck in the second half of the race, Russell showed he could "handle the pressure" extremely well. He took the lead immediately and stayed there comfortably, conserving his tires and maintaining pace brilliantly. He proved that, even with no experience in the Mercedes, he could comfortably lead a Grand Prix.

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George Russell leads the field through turn 1

Russell may not have the pace of 7 time world champion Lewis Hamilton yet, but in the world champion's car, Russell proved that he can still dominate a Grand Prix. So, why would a young and relatively inexperienced driver replace a 7 time world champion?

Lewis Hamilton has hinted occasionally that he may consider retirement after 2021, before the new regulations begin. He is also yet to sign a contract past the end of the 2020 season, meaning that contract negotiations are ongoing. The 35 year old Britton shows no sign of slowing down, though after matching or beating almost every record, it may be time for Hamilton to hang up his helmet. If the past is any indication, Mercedes is likely to dominate again in 2021 making an 8th world championship likely for Hamilton. At such point, he will have far exceeded the all time win record, pole position record, and laps led record and become, undoubtedly, the most successful driver in Formula 1 history. After 2021, with new regulations, there are no certainties.

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Lewis Hamilton becomes the most successful driver in Formula 1 history

Formula 1's governing body, the FIA, is introducing a budget cap from 2021 to 2023 to reduce the gap in spending between the bigger and smaller teams. In 2021, budgets will shrink from $175M to $145M and drop by $5M each year until $135M in 2023. There is also a proposed $30M driver salary cap for 2023 onwards, restricting teams to spend no more than $30M to pay their drivers, with the potential option to spend more if they pay out of their development ($135M) budget.

Lewis Hamilton is reportedly being paid $76M a year to drive for Mercedes and his teammate Valtteri Bottas $15M. In contrast, George Russell is currently being paid $1.2M to drive for Williams. Estimating that Russell will negotiate a deal similar to Charles Leclerc at Ferrari, he would likely be paid $10-15M a year to drive for Mercedes.

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George Russel chats with Mercedes race engineer Peter Bonnington

If Hamilton were to retire after 2021, George Russell would offer a tremendous value for money and align Mercedes perfectly for the 2023 development and salary caps. Hamilton would be able to end his career on top as the most successful driver in history, Russell would finally get the seat he has been groomed to take and deserves, and Mercedes would be able to properly structure their financials to satisfy the new rules.

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