George Russell on Flying with Lewis Hamilton to Shanghai
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Mercedes dominance in Melbourne:
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Silver Arrows outpaced rivals by 0.8s in qualifying.
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Ferrari was Mercedes’ closest challenger in the race, especially at the start.
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Russell and Kimi Antonelli finished 1-2; Hamilton was fourth, matching his best result with Ferrari.
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Russell anticipates Hamilton commentary:
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Pre-season chatter suggested Mercedes’ engine pace might involve a compression ratio loophole.
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Russell joked that Hamilton might criticize him on the plane:
“I’m flying with Lewis, so I’m sure I’m going to hear about, ‘Your engine’s so good, your compression ratio is illegal,’ this and that.”
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Plan: get sleep and tell Hamilton to ‘shut up and focus on your own stuff.’
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Hamilton’s viewpoint:
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He expressed concern over Mercedes’ one-lap pace, hoping there’s no regulatory breach.
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Ferrari showed reason for optimism in race pace, though strategic gambles (like not pitting under VSC) didn’t fully pay off.
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Context for Shanghai GP:
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Formula 1 moves from Melbourne to Shanghai for the first sprint race of 2026.
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Russell and Hamilton will be teammates again on the flight, leading to this lighthearted banter.
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