Mercedes F1 insider shares details on Lewis Hamilton and George Russell

Matt Wyman, author of a new book about behind-the-scenes events at Mercedes, has revealed how Lewis Hamilton and George Russell differ in their opinions of the team.

He explained that Russell is “very commanding” when debriefing with the team, while seven-time world champion Hamilton is “much more emotional” in the way he describes how he feels in the car.

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Hamilton and Russell will end their three-season partnership as team-mates when Hamilton heads to Ferrari next year, with just two points separating them in Position of drivers at this point in the season.

While both drivers provide feedback in their own way – as every driver in every team does – Wyman explained that the job of the engineers around them is to translate their words in a way that they can help make the car more attractive. their taste, which he described as an “endlessly fascinating” process.

Wyman was given behind-the-scenes access to the team for his new book, Inside Mercedes F1: Life in the Fast Laneand he was able to offer insight into how the two drivers operate during the team’s recap.

“Whereas George is very directive and very lyrical and describes things very precisely, Lewis is much more emotional about what’s going on with the car,” Wyman said. Mirror Sport.

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“That’s how he feels – is he happy with it or not happy with it? It is very interesting to hear the difference between the two, but they both provide so much information.

“I remember talking to James Ellison, the technical director, and he said they have thousands of sensors on the car and can get any data we want, but they can’t get one piece of information. What does it feel like man? What are the feelings?

“Whatever they want from the drivers, they don’t want them to say what’s wrong, they just want to know how they feel, and it’s their job to translate that feeling into mechanical and aerodynamic words.

“For 18 months it has been an absolute privilege to listen. It was a joy to be there as a non-engineer.

“It sounds like they’re speaking two different languages ​​and they have to try to translate it as best they can. It’s an endlessly fascinating detail that they go into.”

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