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George Russell - Next in Line to the Mercedes Throne

In the last decade, Mercedes has dominated the Formula One scene with a blend of fast drivers and an unbeatable car which has turned a once thrilling race weekend into a glorified 2-hour parade. In 2020, this story has largely stayed the same but the end of this season brought about a very interesting question concerning Mercedes's immediate future. With both drivers beginning to consider retirement, the need for young new drivers to compete with youthful lineups at Ferrari and Red Bull, is something Mercedes need to start thinking about. In addition, with Hamilton's contract still under negotiation and Bottas confined to a one-year deal, this leaves Mercedes with a lot of options moving forward; all of which look to include George Russell. 

As a former F2 World Champion combined with solid performances over the past 2 seasons, George Russell has established himself as a member of the Formula One grid lineup for the foreseeable future. However, his performance for Mercedes in this year's Sakir Grand Prix during Lewis Hamilton's absence has dramatically increased others' interest in a driver that can usually be found at the back of the F1 queue. As Russell is a part of the Mercedes Young Driver Programme, he has a higher chance than most of replacing either of the current men sat in the best seat in F1, and I think Mercedes would be smart to take advantage of that sooner rather than later. 

In a sport where the money is everything, being able to cut corners is something a team principal must look into; especially when it comes to the drivers. Mercedes are currently discussing a multi-year deal with Lewis Hamilton worth approximately £50 million that would take him through to retirement and hopefully win Mercedes a few more world titles along the way. However, in the spirit of controversy, there are 2 options I believe Mercedes should consider before putting pen to paper. 

The first option is to buy out Valteri Bottas of his one-year commitment, effectively forcing him into retirement for 2021. They could then fill this seat by signing George Russell and retain Lewis Hamilton on his deserved £50 million deal. Not only is this a simple solution but is probably the most likely option that Mercedes will go with. However, if Mercedes declined Lewis Hamilton's contract negotiation and replaced him with George Russell, not only would it be filled with controversy but scarily makes a lot of sense. Not only will Mercedes gain a future world champion but the additional £50 million in additional payroll will allow them to offer big contracts to young drivers such as Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc in future seasons. This not only assures the future of Mercedes but also assures Lewis Hamilton's legacy. 

Formula One is dying, and Hamilton's success is a major contributing factor to this. No matter the sport, no fans want to watch the same outcome race after race, and his retirement would mean closer races between drivers and a reinvigorated fan base that would return F1 to its former glory. 






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