Eddie Jordan questions George Russell with brutal Lewis Hamilton verdict reached

Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell pose for a selfie.
Former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan believes Lewis Hamilton has made Mercedes team-mate George Russell “look a bit second rate” during the 2023 season.
Russell was hailed as the future of Mercedes when he was signed as Hamilton’s team-mate in 2022, claiming Mercedes’ only victory of last season in Brazil.
However, the former Williams driver has not progressed as expected in 2023 and has only one podium finish – third place from 12th on the grid in Spain – to his name this season.
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Russell is five places and 72 points behind Hamilton in the Drivers’ standings ahead of this weekend’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with the 25-year-old’s five non-scores leaving Mercedes vulnerable in the Constructors’ Championship. The team currently hold a slender four-point lead over Ferrari in the fight for second place.
Appearing on the Formula For Success podcast, Jordan has been full of praise for 38-year-old Hamilton’s performances in 2023 – and is re-evaluating his opinion of Russell at the end of a tough season.
He said: “[For Hamilton] to do what he’s now doing, honestly, he’s making George look a bit second rate at the moment. And George, we were thinking at the beginning of the year, he’s mustard, he’s world class.
Jordan’s praise of Hamilton was echoed by ex-F1 driver Martin Donnelly, who feels the seven-time World Champion is still more than a match for the likes of Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc.
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And he reckons Hamilton could still give newly crowned three-time World Champion Max Verstappen a run for his money if presented with a winning car.
Donnelly said: “Lewis, to be doing this since 2007, to go and pack a bag, unpack a bag, go to an airport, jump on a plane – even if it’s a Learjet – to still have that mojo to keep doing that, year in, year out [is astonishing].
“He’s performing against Lando, Leclerc. Even Max is still looking over his shoulder.”
Donnelly’s remarks come after Red Bull team principal Christian Horner claimed that Hamilton’s representatives approached him earlier over a sensational move to become Verstappen’s team-mate prior to agreeing a contract extension with Mercedes.
Asked about Horner’s comments on Thursday in Abu Dhabi, Hamilton accused the Red Bull boss of “just stirring things.”
“You know Christian, he loves that kind of stuff,” he added.
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