Lewis Hamilton says the arrival of his new Mercedes team mate for the 2022 Formula 1 season has been handled seamlessly.
George Russell, who substituted for Hamilton at the Sakhir Grand Prix in 2020, has replaced Valtteri Bottas in the team’s line-up for the new season.
It is the first change in the team’s regular driver line-up since Bottas took the place of Nico Rosberg at the end of 2016. Hamilton’s relationship with Rosberg was fractious at times, but he enjoyed a more harmonious five years alongside Bottas.
After six days of testing alongside Russell, Hamilton says the pair are off to a good start together.
“He’s gelled very easily into the team,” said Hamilton. “It has been pretty similar to [when] we worked together previously within in the engineering room for, I think, plenty of races in the past where he just sat behind me and I watched everything I did and the same with Valtteri.
“He knew everyone so it’s been seamless. We’re working together,…