Mercedes' resurgence puts a Lewis Hamilton v George Russell dilemma on the horizon

Mercedes’ strong form in Barcelona has added an intriguing plot twist to a season which was already shaping up nicely. A season-long battle for supremacy between Ferrari and Red Bull would have sustained us all very happily in 2022. But a three-way fight for the title? So much more exciting. Of course, there is no guarantee that that is what we are going to get. At the moment, Mercedes still look a decent chunk behind the other two in terms of one-lap pace. They will need to close that gap significantly.

But assuming Mercedes do keep up their current rate of development - and they are adamant they will be able to start unlocking their car’s potential now that they appear to have got on top of their porpoising issues - and assuming they do begin to challenge for poles and race wins, Toto Wolff could at some point be left with a very tricky decision to make.

Will Mercedes eventually throw their weight behind one of their drivers? And if so, when and which one?

‘A great star and driver in the making’

George Russell, by virtue of the fact that he has finished every race this season in the top five (the only driver to do so), is currently the better placed; sitting just 36 points behind Max Verstappen in the drivers’ standings.

It is an extraordinary statistic given Russell has been behind the wheel of a car which only last month Wolff described as “undriveable”. But the Englishman, in his first season with the team, has been full value for it. Wolff was not exaggerating on Sunday evening, following Russell’s third place finish, when he described the 24-year-old as “a great star and a great driver in the making”.

Which is where things get tricky. Russell is a brilliant young driver and showing all the hallmarks of a future world champion, but Wolff already has a proven winner on his books. Lewis Hamilton is the most successful driver in the history of the sport.

The trouble is he finds himself a massive 64 points behind Verstappen, having suffered a difficult start to the season, both in terms of his feel for the car, and his luck.

The question is, if he cannot get on top of his young team-mate soon, and show he is Mercedes’ lead driver, could there come a point where Mercedes have to have a very awkward conversation with their star driver?

It seems unimaginable. But if it were the other way around, and Hamilton was ahead in the standings, it is not hard to imagine the team asking Russell to bat for Hamilton. After all, given their slow start to the year, Mercedes cannot afford to be giving up any points if they are going to overhaul Verstappen or Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

Of course, it is all theoretical at this stage. Mercedes need to give their drivers a winning car before they can start to wrestle with such issues. But the dynamic between the two Britons is sure to become a growing focal point if they do.

Russell has the edge so far in 2022

It has been a fascinating contest already. Russell has, as mentioned, been brilliantly consistent. And superficially he looks to have had the measure of his more experienced team-mate, having beaten Hamilton at every race this season bar the first in Bahrain.

The reality is, of course, less straightforward. Hamilton has had more than his share of bad luck. In Saudi Arabia, the 37-year-old stuffed up in qualifying, it is true, having gambled on a different setup to Russell, but a safety car then compromised his race.

In Australia, another safety car allowed Russell to jump Hamilton in the final standings. The same thing happened in Miami. Then in Barcelona last weekend, Hamilton was swiped by Kevin Magnussen’s Haas on the very first lap, sending him tumbling to the back of the field with a puncture. Hamilton’s recovery drive was phenomenal. Whether he would have beaten Russell had his first-lap incident not occurred we will never know. But that is at least two races, possibly three, where Hamilton would have finished above Russell but for bad luck.

Hamilton showing first signs of his normal self

The other thing is Hamilton looks to have got the bit back between his teeth again. If Imola was his lowest ebb, the place where Hamilton completely lost his mojo, Sunday’s drive in Barcelona, as he scythed through the field, offered the most convincing evidence yet that he has rediscovered it.

“It was so important for his morale and our morale,” Wolff agreed on Sunday evening, as he declared Mercedes were back in the championship fight. “That looked like a championship-winning race car he was driving. It reminded me of last year and the years before, the race car and the driver.”

Hamilton added to the impression on Monday, saying how much he was looking forward to Monaco this weekend. “Yesterday was another day that reminded me just how much I love this sport,” Hamilton tweeted. “Going from your emotions hitting the floor to ending on a high is such a thrill. All of our hard work as a team is starting to pay off. Together we are making progress! Can’t wait for this weekend.”

It is all set up. Will there come a time when Wolff has to have a very awkward conversation with the seven-time world champion? Possibly. That speculation will certainly start to gather pace if Mercedes begin winning races again and Russell maintains or even extends his current advantage. Even then, though, it is likely to take Hamilton being mathematically out of contention for that to happen, by which stage he would presumably sacrifice himself voluntarily. For now, the team will surely let both drivers go at it as hard as they can as they try to muscle their way back into things.