Hakkinen sees impossible task for Russell at Mercedes: 'It's Lewis' team'

'Mercedes lack that blind confidence'

"Mercedes are at a crossroads. There are more question marks around the team than there have been in a long time," Hakkinen told German newspaper Bild. The two-time world champion thinks the team can use the recent setbacks to their advantage. "You have to have that unconditional will to win again. The team have to become a team again, develop that blind confidence. That is missing at the moment."

The 55-year-old Finn sees a clear division of roles within the team. "Even though George is entering his third season as a Mercedes driver, it is clear that it is Lewis' team," he continued. "He has been driving there since 2013 and has worked with many of the engineers and mechanics for years. It takes him less than 10 minutes of analysis to explain the problem. In Formula 1, little things like this ultimately determine whether you are in pole position or not."

Role distribution between Hamilton and Russell

Russell may have beaten Hamilton in the final standings in his first F1 season with Mercedes, but the roles were reversed in 2023. "Last season Hamilton finished third and Russell eighth and that didn't surprise me," says the former McLaren driver.

"On the one hand Lewis wanted to prove himself because there was talk of the end of his career and on the other hand George was and is under enormous pressure. When you are the teammate of a seven-time world champion, all eyes are automatically on you. It doesn't matter if you finish on the podium if your teammate has won. That applies to all teams, but George is racing against a record champion," Hakkinen concluded.