Lewis Hamilton – George Russell: after three years together, just 2 points separates them. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have completed their three-year partnership at Mercedes.

A battle defined by balance
Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari for the 2025 season marks the end of the all-British pairing at Mercedes between the seven-time world champion and young talent George Russell. The former Williams driver will take on the role of ‘team leader’ next year as he partners with 18-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli, making his Formula 1 debut.

The word that best describes the Hamilton-Russell partnership is undoubtedly ‘balance.’ One statistic stands out above all: after three seasons and 68 Grands Prix together, Hamilton concluded this experience with just two more points than Russell. This narrow gap was decided by the now-famous last-lap overtake on the outside during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton’s final race as a Mercedes driver.

Many similar statistics
The balance between #44 and #63 is reflected in other metrics as well: in head-to-head finishes in races completed by both, Russell leads by just one; in championship standings, Russell was ahead two out of three times, but Hamilton secured the highest overall season finish (third in 2023). Noteworthy differences include Russell winning more races over the three years—3-2, which would have been 4-1 if not for his disqualification after the 2024 Belgian GP—while Hamilton claimed six more podiums than his teammate.

George Russell dominates in qualifying
It’s worth noting that most of Russell’s less favorable statistics stem from the troubled 2023 season, where Hamilton clearly outperformed him, particularly in race consistency. Conversely, the recently concluded season saw the greatest disparity between the two, particularly in qualifying performance. Russell outqualified Hamilton 39 times to 29 over their partnership, with an emphatic 19-5 advantage in 2024 alone. This result overturned the dynamic of their first two seasons together, during which Hamilton had been the stronger qualifier overall.

Nonetheless, Lewis Hamilton’s last-lap overtake in Abu Dhabi keeps alive his remarkable record of never ending a partnership with fewer total points than his teammate. It will be fascinating to see if this streak continues alongside Charles Leclerc at Ferrari.