Formula 1 | Franz Tost: “Russell is already stronger than Hamilton”

George Russell's first season as a starter at Mercedes was more than positive. The English driver was the first and only one to bring to victory a W13 that was more disastrous than effective, and among other things he also beat Hamilton in the world rankings. This is also due to a lot of problems for the British champion, especially at the beginning of the year, when his younger teammate was able to best adapt to the characteristics of a car that was difficult but still stronger than the one he had previously with Williams. Franz Tost, AlphaTauri team principal, wanted to have his say on the next world championship and the internal struggle at Mercedes.

“The superiority demonstrated by Verstappen and Red Bull over the course of the season is quite rare – Tost told Speedweek.com. In 2023, however, I expect a good fight between Max, Leclerc and Russell, who I believe is already stronger than Hamilton. It must also be said that the FIA ​​sanction against Red Bull will have a decisive impact on the team, there is no doubt about this, despite having some of the best engineers around. But apart from that, I am convinced that they will still be in the midst of the battle for the world title."