George Russell: Mercedes shared testing work "evenly across us both" in 2022
George Russell has clarified that he shared the same responsibilities as Lewis Hamilton in terms of set-up experimentation and testing new parts.
Russell started the season in impressive form at Mercedes, delivering consistent top 5 results whilst Lewis Hamilton struggled to maximise the unpredictable W13.
Hamilton still showed flashes of pace that Russell could not match in the first half of 2022 (Spain, Britain), but the 7-time Champion was open about his discomfort with his car.
In the second half of the season, Hamilton showed greater pace and overall consistency compared to his younger teammate, seemingly confirming the idea that he was more experimental with the W13 early in the year.
However, in an interview quoted by gpfans, George Russell was asked if Hamilton was given more upgrades to experiment with early in the season:
"No, that's not the case. Whenever there were test items brought to the track, it was shared evenly across us both.
"I think what he [Hamilton] probably means is that he was a bit more extravagant with setup items.
"Whenever there was a development that came to the car, it would always be split evenly. One week it would be me. One week it would be him.
"I was naturally happier with the car from day one, so I think Lewis was trying more things to try and find the setup that worked for him."
Regardless of any experimentation from the 2022 season, Russell can be proud of his first season in Silver.
The Briton surpassed expectations at Mercedes amidst fears that he would struggle to face off against Lewis Hamilton in the same machinery.
Although Hamilton still enjoys a slight edge in terms of overall pace, Russell's performances were very impressive, considering his relative inexperience.
As Mercedes looks to climb the grid next season, the competitiveness of its driver pairing will be a great asset over the winter and pre-season period.