Lewis Hamilton’s departure from Mercedes at the end of the 2024 Formula 1 season marked the end of an era, and according to George Russell, it may have been exactly what the Silver Arrows needed. The seven-time world champion, whose legacy is forever linked to Mercedes’ turbo-hybrid dominance, left the team in search of a new challenge, signing a multi-year contract with Ferrari. For Mercedes, it represented both a challenge and an opportunity—a chance to reset the team dynamics and embrace a new generation of talent, including rookie sensation Kimi Antonelli.

Russell, who has remained with Mercedes since 2022, recently reflected on the changes within the Brackley-based squad in an interview with Autosport. “It’s a different feeling within the team,” he said. “But ultimately, you only look towards one thing, which is the performance. We obviously started really well. Now we’ve had a run of bad form. I hope we can get that back on track, but there’s always pros and cons to every change that you make in any organisation. But I think the change was with Lewis. It’s good for him. It’s really good for us as a team; a fresh start. Sometimes you need to break that mould to find yourself back on track.”

Hamilton’s tenure at Mercedes was historic. He claimed six of his seven Drivers’ Championship titles with the Silver Arrows, setting multiple records and establishing himself as one of Formula 1’s all-time greats. Yet after narrowly losing the 2021 title to Max Verstappen in heart-wrenching fashion, Mercedes began to face challenges in maintaining consistent race-winning form. The team’s inability to keep pace at the very front eventually led Hamilton to consider his future, culminating in his move to Ferrari—a lifelong ambition he had harbored for years.

For Mercedes, Hamilton’s exit opened a path for rejuvenation. The promotion of 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli, a standout in Formula Two, to one of F1’s most coveted seats, signaled the team’s willingness to invest in the future. While Antonelli has immense potential, the transition to Formula One has been far from smooth. Russell highlighted the rookie’s struggles, emphasizing that progress is being made, even if the results don’t always show it.

“The fact is, his pace delta to me is no different,” Russell explained. “I think that’s what people don’t see. In Canada, I was on pole and he qualified fourth, but he was six tenths behind me. In Belgium, he was out in Q1, and I made it to Q3, but he was only three tenths off. People look at the underlying result, but the truth is he’s still making progress, even though we as a team have gone backwards.”

Mercedes’ performance in 2025 has been a rollercoaster. While the team currently sits behind Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship by 24 points, Russell has secured a victory and five additional podium finishes—demonstrating his adaptability and resilience in the face of change. Antonelli, meanwhile, has scored points in only two of the last eight races, accumulating 64 points compared to Russell’s 172. The rookie’s learning curve is steep, but the team remains committed to nurturing his potential and integrating him fully into the Mercedes environment.

Hamilton, on the other hand, has struggled to replicate his former dominance with Ferrari. Despite immense fanfare at his Maranello debut, he has yet to secure a podium finish in 2025, and the challenges he faces echo a similar period from his early days at McLaren in 2009. Back then, Hamilton endured a difficult run with only three point-scoring finishes in the first nine rounds, yet managed to recover and secure two victories later in the season. Whether he can achieve a similar resurgence in 2025 remains uncertain, particularly as Ferrari works to adapt its strategies and car development to maximize his potential.

Russell emphasized that every tenth of a second now carries far more weight than before, reflecting the increased competitiveness of Formula One. “But suddenly you’re now in the fight where a tenth can be six or seven grid spots, whereas before, for the positions we were fighting for, a tenth is plus or minus one position. Kimi and I had just taken an equal step backwards over those last few races.” The nuances of Formula One, he explained, mean that even small improvements—or regressions—can drastically impact results.

For Mercedes, Hamilton’s exit was not merely a personnel change; it represented a strategic reset. The Silver Arrows now have the opportunity to cultivate fresh talent, experiment with team dynamics, and redefine the culture within the paddock. Russell’s comments underline that the team views the transition as positive in the long run, despite short-term challenges and inconsistent results.

Hamilton, meanwhile, faces his own uphill battle at Ferrari, where expectations are sky-high and scrutiny intense. The juxtaposition of his struggles with Mercedes’ gradual adaptation post-departure highlights the complexity of elite motorsport—where talent alone cannot guarantee immediate success, and change, no matter how calculated, carries both risk and reward.

As the 2025 season progresses, both Hamilton and Mercedes are navigating transformative periods. For Hamilton, it’s about finding rhythm and reclaiming his status as a podium contender; for Mercedes, it’s about harnessing the promise of youth and establishing a new team identity. Russell’s reflections suggest that the Silver Arrows may emerge stronger in the long term, even if the road to stability is fraught with obstacles.

Ultimately, Hamilton’s move to Ferrari and Mercedes’ fresh start exemplify the evolving nature of Formula One. Change, adaptation, and the relentless pursuit of performance define the sport, and both the seven-time champion and his former team are living proof of that reality. While Hamilton seeks to conquer new challenges, Mercedes looks forward to building the next chapter of its legacy—one podium, one point, and one race at a time.