Hamilton Reflects on "Fun" Battle with Russell as He Claims Fourth

Hamilton Reflects on “Fun” Battle with Russell as He Claims Fourth in Mexico

Lewis Hamilton enjoyed a close battle with Mercedes teammate George Russell at the Mexico City Grand Prix, ultimately besting him to finish fourth. Starting from fifth and sixth, Russell initially overtook Hamilton on Lap 14 after Hamilton had gained the upper hand at the start.

Both drivers advanced a spot after Max Verstappen dropped back due to a 20-second penalty, setting up Hamilton to close the gap on Russell. By Lap 65, Hamilton made a decisive move at Turn 1, securing fourth position.

Reflecting on the race, Hamilton shared, “It was fun, I had a good start, though the first stint was rough due to massive understeer after I took too much front wing out. But after my stop, I fixed it and found better pace. We stopped a bit early, but it all worked out for solid points.”

Hamilton also expressed confidence in the respectfulness of their intra-team competition, adding, “Neither of us are silly. George is smart and fair in positioning his car, and I’m the same. So when the team says, ‘keep it clean,’ it’s a given, especially with a teammate.”

Meanwhile, Russell, who helped Mercedes secure a double top-five finish, faced challenges after incurring front wing damage early in the second stint. He explained, “The pace was strong in the first stint, but coming out behind [Oscar] Piastri, I hit a bump, and my front left flap collapsed. That cost me about three to four tenths for the rest of the race, making it tough for the last 40 laps.”

Despite this, Russell managed a solid P5 finish and valuable data on split car specs, with only Hamilton’s car equipped with updates in Mexico.