George Russell was right about Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes exit as Kimi Antonelli doubles his points

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Mercedes have made their best start to a Formula 1 season since 2021. Surprisingly, this comes immediately after Lewis Hamilton left the team.

Hamilton’s spell at Mercedes was the most successful period in F1 history. He won six world championships and 84 Grands Prix between 2013 and 2024.

Nobody at Brackley has spoken ill of him since he left. But equally, there’s little indication that they’re ruing his exit.

George Russell has grown in stature, now fashioned as the team leader, and shown remarkable consistency with a 100% top-five record in competitive sessions. He’s scored three podiums in the opening five Grands Prix.

Meanwhile, rookie signing Kimi Antonelli has immediately impressed. Having charged from 16th to fourth on his debut in Australia, he’s now put 38 points on board – double what Hamilton had managed at this stage last season.

That reflects Mercedes’ improvement over the winter. The team have ruled out a title assault in either championship, but they look as strong as they’ve been at any point in the ground-effect era.

George Russell says Mercedes needed a refresh – he was right

Speaking to ESPN at last year’s Las Vegas Grand Prix, Russell suggested Hamilton’s exit would be ‘positive’ for Mercedes. This wasn’t intended as a slight on the veteran driver.

Instead, it was an acknowledgement that Mercedes needed to ‘change the mould’ after a stagnant and frustrating period. He also predicted that Antonelli’s arrival would invigorate the team.

Mercedes have 111 points after five rounds, more than double what they had last year (52) and also more than 2023 (96) and 2022 (95). On that basis, Russell is absolutely right.

The only figure who hasn’t benefitted from the change up to this point is Hamilton himself. He sits a disappointing seventh in the championship ahead of the Miami GP, the same position he finished last year.

“To be honest, I think it’s going to be – for Lewis, for me, for the team – a positive change for everyone,” Russell said last autumn. “Those guys have been through so much success together and they’ve got so many memories.

“These last three years, it just hasn’t been working for any of us. Changing that mould, for him, what an opportunity – a fresh start. That’s going to give him a lot of motivation. We’ve got Kimi joining the team, young kid on the block, he’s fully motivated.”

Gary Anderson explains why Mercedes are better off without Lewis Hamilton

Antonelli will be the subject of a Netflix documentary, it’s recently emerged. The production will focus on what it calls the biggest driver change in F1 history.

Mercedes have previously made an effort to protect Antonelli from too much publicity. But even Toto Wolff is buying into the hype after a start that exceeded expectations.

Former F1 designer Gary Anderson says Mercedes are more ‘stable’ without Hamilton. Having pursued radical experiments in recent years to try and extract performance from the car – apparently at the legendary driver’s behest – they’re now at peace with their limitations.

Peter Bonnington says he can shape Antonelli, whereas Hamilton was already an established champion when he joined. The Italian has already offered ‘exceptional’ feedback, and the team welcome his fresh perspective.