Russell reveals 'phone calls' over Hamilton Mercedes replacement

George Russell has claimed he has received phone calls from drivers over Lewis Hamilton's vacant seat at Mercedes. Hamilton stunned the Formula 1 world when he exercised an option in his contract to leave Mercedes at the end of this season, confirming a move to Ferrari for 2025. Much attention has been put on who could replace the seven-time World Champion but when asked about how much say he has in the driver lineup, Russell told media, including RacingNews365 : "Ultimately, the decision is with Toto [Wolff] and the board. "We've already had conversations and I've been with Toto a lot this winter, so seeing the drivers' names pop up on the telephone has been quite funny. "Even on my phone as well, I've had a few phone calls and text messages so it's been quite interesting. As a team, we've got a good opportunity and we're in a really good position to go into this next chapter, [after] there's been so much success with Lewis and Mercedes.

Russell: Hamilton news has not changed team

Mercedes currently finds itself amid a rebuild after two unsuccessful seasons, but with the loss of their star driver there has been speculation over whether it has impacted morale. Some personnel have also left the team in the wake of their poor form, but Russell is confident they can bounce back. "So far it [team dynamic] hasn't changed at all. I think everybody is professional, we've all got our job at hand," said Russell. "The engineers are just motivated to try to deliver the fastest car possible and Lewis is still motivated to do the best job possible. So within the team, it seems like nothing has changed."