Lewis Hamilton had nothing but positive words to say about George Russell and Valtteri Bottas when asked by Mercedes to give his thoughts on who to hire as his teammate for next season, stating that he ultimately had little input in the final decision. Russell will take over from Bottas, who joins Alfa Romeo after spending the last five seasons with the Silver Arrows. Hamilton explained that he was consulted by Mercedes, as they discuss all matters as a team, and that he's pleased to see how positive the move has been welcomed by all parties involved. "Not really much input to be honest," Hamilton told RacingNews365.com and other members of the media. "[Mercedes boss] Toto [Wolff] and I talk, we discuss everything, and we work together as a team in terms of how we navigate moving forward. "He asked me what I thought about George and I gave positive feedback. He asked me how I felt about Valtteri and I did the same, but at the end of the day, it is his and the board's decision. "I think you've seen how positive it's been. Valtteri's been incredibly gracious in the decision that was made, and he's got a great bright future with the team he is moving to. "It's been really positive in the media with George's announcement on joining the team, so that's pretty cool." When asked if he could have vetoed Russell's appointment if he wanted to, Hamilton stated that it's not in his nature to do such a thing. "That's not really my style," Hamilton added. "Ever since I joined this team... I remember joining in 2013, and I remember saying to Ross [Brawn] that I just wanted equal opportunity. "That's the most rewarding position to be in because if you do the work and you do succeed, then you know you've done your job against whoever it is at their best. "Winning when someone's wings are clipped, that's not something that interests me."
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