Oh, what a time to browse the Web as a Formula One fan. The fickleness of the game’s supporters is on full show in 2022. Some now deride Carlos Sainz, who completed forward of Charles Leclerc in 2021, as a choker and Charles’ quantity two. Others aren’t as engaged this season with Max Verstappen dominating, seemingly upset that they’re not getting a title battle as shut as final season. After which there are the camps battling on behalf of Lewis Hamilton’s misfortune versus these entrenched in George Russell’s greatness.

A shocking variety of individuals on the market are placing ahead that Hamilton is a spent drive with Russell exhibiting him up at Mercedes, regardless of the seven-time champion being one lap away from final 12 months’s crown whereas racing on his previous Pirelli tyres. As with Sainz’s “worthiness” or Verstappen’s “uninteresting” reign on the high, these all make for some enjoyable pub debates. Nonetheless, drawing conclusions from solely 9 races serves as a lot level as evaluating Juan Manuel Fangio and Ayrton Senna — you’ll be able to kind an opinion, but it surely’s onerous to again it up.

I consider the Hamilton vs Russell debate will proceed for so long as the pair are teammates. Who’s the higher driver? Who’s faster? Who can adapt to the automobile quicker? Who can absorb the strain? It’s all very speculative and circumstantial. You possibly can have a look at the factors tally and {finishing} positions for some steering, however those who have watched each lap of the season will know that they by no means give the entire image. And that’s to not point out the brand new period of Pirelli tyres or aerodynamic rules we have now this 12 months.

As of at the moment — every week or so earlier than the British Grand Prix — the details are as follows. Russell leads Hamilton by 34 factors, with 111 for the newcomer Russell to Hamilton’s 77. The boy marvel has but to complete exterior the highest 5 all season, whereas his teammate has had 4 races the place he’s crossed the road in P6 or beneath. And Russell has three trophies from his podium ideas, with Hamilton accumulating simply two. Lastly, Qualifying head-to-heads are 5–4 in favour of the brand new child on the Mercedes block. Statistically, Russell is inarguably higher.

However let’s take one other have a look at that very same {data} as a result of we’re people and never some {data} machine from Amazon that pulls incorrect Insights from some numbers for tyre life percentages. After all, a 34-point swing is sizeable for drivers not contesting wins. Nonetheless, it’s truthful to say Russell has been the benefactor of so-called “low-cost” pit stops when the Digital Security Automotive or Security Automotive has been out on observe, actually extra so than Hamilton.

In Saudi Arabia, Hamilton couldn’t pit when Daniel Ricciardo’s McLaren stopped at pit entry, dropping him from P6 to P12 within the Security Automotive interval. Russell leapfrogged Hamilton throughout one other Security Automotive slowdown in Australia after Sebastian Vettel crashed out, taking the rostrum in his teammate’s stead. Russell additionally pitted in Miami after Lando Norris’ crash for some recent Pirelli Medium tyres, which helped him overtake Hamilton, who stayed out on older Arduous rubber. There was additionally a Lap 1 puncture that dropped Hamilton to the again in Spain, and the Fernando Alonso DRS practice ruined his Monaco Grand Prix.

After all, there’s a little bit extra nuance to all of this, but it surely paints an image of how stats reveals Russell because the undisputed higher driver, whereas the fact is way extra opaque. Hamilton actually would have extra podiums than Russell and would possibly’ve made his younger teammate finish in P6 or beneath if not for the timing of some Security Automobiles permitting Russell to get new Pirelli tyres. You must say the 34-point lead considerably flatters Russell, though he in all probability would nonetheless be the lead Mercedes, however not by as a lot.

Even the 5–4 Qualifying stat is deceptive; it represents probably the most evenly matched driver pairing on the grid. Every driver has did not make it to Q3 twice in 2022, though Hamilton’s P16 Q1 exit is an simple low. It’s this head-to-head statistic that I really feel is most pertinent of all. Hamilton and Russell are intently matched, they usually could be probably the most equal lineups on the F1 grid this season, which is terrific information for Mercedes and British motorsport followers.

So, is George Russell higher than Lewis Hamilton? Some days, maybe, different days, maybe not. That’s not a adverse for both driver. Quite the opposite, it jogs my memory of the 2007 season, minus the grooved tyres and loopy aerodynamics. A younger British up-and-comer who was a part of a workforce’s driver academy programme joins a Mercedes-powered constructor and infrequently beats his multiple-World Champion teammate.

Again then, we couldn’t predict Hamilton would win seven titles to hitch Alonso as one of many sport’s greats. Possibly historical past will repeat, and the Russell-Hamilton duo will sometime signify some of the iconic pairings in F1 historical past. We are able to’t draw that conclusion after 9 races, solely opinions, however it is going to be fascinating to look again on in years to return.