In terms of Russell's personal development, becoming Hamilton's teammate too early is probably more harmful than beneficial, first of all, you can compare the two:
1, technical and experience. According to the analysis of many professionals in the paddock, Russell's driver ability should be below Hamilton, coupled with Hamilton's accumulated 15 years of F1 experience, which Russell cannot compare;
2, mentality. Hamilton has won the title seven times, and he has also experienced a thunderbolt of blows, such as 2007 and 2021, and 2016 is also one. The psychological change from heaven to hell tempered the Black Sir, so that when he faced a similar situation in the future, he would face it with a more relaxed attitude, which may be a person's most powerful moment, and ask if Russell can easily come out if he encounters the same problem;
3. Confidence. Although Hamilton regretted missing his eighth title in 2021, he has never doubted the ability of the car and his ability to control the race, this confidence comes more from a clear understanding of himself and the car, rather than the empty "bowl of chicken soup for the soul" of young people to motivate themselves, and Russell's confidence comes more from self-appreciation and the unrealistic evaluation given by the outside world.
So let's take a look at what might happen in the 2022 season:
The first year of the new rules, the latest concept of the racing car design, means that all drivers must adjust their driving style to adapt to the car, the new rules and new cars are definitely a touchstone for drivers, in this regard, not all drivers can really play their own level, and may even go backwards.
For the adaptability of the new car, the current ability of the driver in the paddock is roughly divided into 5 grades (small personal comments, not authoritative, if there are different opinions can be left in the comment area):
First gear: Hamilton, Verstappen and Alonso
Second gear: Vettel, Raikkonen (if he has not retired)
Third gear: O'Conn, Leclerc, Sairns, Perez, Bottas, Gasley, Norris, Ricardo and Russell
Fourth gear: Mick Schumacher, Stroor, Latifi, Alpen
Fifth gear: Zhou Guanyu, Ma Zeping, Kakuda Yuyi
For the first-class three, there is no need to use more facts and data to prove that they are definitely the first drivers in the paddock to adapt to the new car, and Vettel in the second gear is slightly inferior in terms of adaptability compared to the top three, but it will certainly be stronger than Russell, whether in terms of talent, ability or experience.
Some fans will definitely question the ranking of the editor, thinking that Vettel should be in the first gear, I just have a question, just think, if in some way Ferrari has the ability to challenge Mercedes hegemony in the 2017/18 season, if Verstappen sits in the cockpit of Ferrari, it is self-evident whether the results of the 2022 season will be reproduced, after all, those two seasons Vettel missed opportunities and made some mistakes.
With A/B/C/D/E ratings given to drivers in each of the 5 tiers, the rating for each driver's ability to adapt to the new car in the 2022 new season is likely to be as follows:
First gear: A+
Second gear: A- or B+
Third gear: O'Conn C-, Leclerc C+, Sainz C+, Perez C, Bottas C, Gasley C+, Norris C+, Ricardo C- and Russell C+
Fourth gear: Mick Schumacher D+, Sturroor D, Ratife D-, Albon D-
Fifth gear: Zhou Guanyu E, Ma Zeping E-, Kakuda Yuyi E-
Prediction: If the Mercedes W13 has the ability to compete for the title, Russell may have a slight advantage at the beginning of the season, as the more experienced Hamilton will adopt a follow-up strategy, as far as possible to avoid the round-to-round round with teammates, and let Verstappen sit on the fisherman's profit, he will let Russell face Verstappen, especially at the beginning of the season, with the personalities of Russell and Verstappen, they will definitely have a series of frictions on the track, and the "old gangster" Hamilton should be the one who takes the fisherman's profit, Then after the Spanish stop, the team will traditionally bring a major upgrade here, which may be the time for Hamilton to exert his strength; at the same time, Hamilton can see at least three facts: 1, Russell's ability has been fully exposed, Hamilton has the ability to recognize the true strength and weakness of his teammates; 2, whether the car can help him win the eighth title; 3, Red Bull RB18 and Verstappen's potential to win the title.
For Russell, if he fails to surpass Hamilton in his first season at Mercedes, young people will most likely have an unbalanced mentality, begin to doubt themselves, and even worse, will make radical moves on the track; on the other hand, the team will re-evaluate Russell's consideration as the first choice to replace Hamilton in the future, so as to find more potential drivers in the driver market. For the premise of driving a good car at the same time, it is easier for novices to touch the ceiling, whether they can break out of the shell, and rebirth depends on personal practice, and whether Russell can be as star-studded as Hamilton, who debuted in 2007, while maintaining a positive and relaxed attitude after encountering difficulties, only time can prove.