According to former F1 team manager Peter Windsor, the relationship between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell at Mercedes has soured significantly. 

Both British drivers recently committed to remaining with the Mercedes team until the conclusion of the 2025 season. During the Japanese Grand Prix, tensions became apparent as they engaged in fierce on-track battles, including overtaking maneuvers at Suzuka, despite employing different race strategies.

In a pivotal moment of the race, Russell, running on significantly older tires and holding fifth position, proposed to his team that they employ the Drag Reduction System (DRS) to help him stay ahead of Hamilton and protect their positions. The plan was for Hamilton to pass him on the last lap after they had created a gap from Carlos Sainz, who was closely trailing in a Ferrari.

However, when Russell complied with a direct team order to let the seven-time world champion pass, he became vulnerable and was eventually overtaken by Sainz’s Ferrari. This tactical decision resulted in the team finishing in fifth and seventh positions, rather than a potential fifth and sixth.

Tensions are escalating within the Mercedes team, with both drivers seemingly ignoring each other after the recent race. Former F1 team manager Peter Windsor has expressed concerns that the situation could worsen significantly if Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were contending for world championships instead of minor positions.

Windsor stated on his YouTube channel, “You could tell that there is definitely acrimony between the two now – and that’s not a good thing. Imagine if Mercedes had a championship-winning car and this was the world championship and grand prix wins they were racing for; imagine what it would be like between Lewis and George.”

He continued, “The good thing is it’s only for the minor placings. ‘Does it really matter that much?’ I suppose is what you’d say in the boardroom afterwards. But if they do get in a position actually to be doing something serious in 2024 – a big ask, you’ve got to say – then how are you going to manage that Lewis Hamilton/George Russell imbalance?”

Windsor also revealed that Hamilton preferred to maintain a more harmonious partnership with Valtteri Bottas ahead of the 2022 season. This preference stemmed from the belief that Bottas provided the right balance for the team. Windsor compared it to Max Verstappen’s partnership with Sergio Perez, highlighting that this preference became more apparent than ever during the Japanese Grand Prix.

“Lewis always wanted to keep Valtteri, not necessarily because he loved Valtteri but because it was the right balance of the team.

“He could feel that. That was the same as Max Verstappen [and] Sergio Perez.

“It came to the surface more than ever before, I think, in the Japanese Grand Prix.”