Is it just me, or are we feeling some serious déjà vu after the first two races of the season?
Well, here’s how I see it... We’re watching one team become extremely dominant right from the start with both drivers, while a couple of other teams are right there with them but just can’t seem to get over that hump. We saw a similar scene last year, with McLaren looking strong and dominating the grid over Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull. But this year, it’s playing out a bit differently — Mercedes is so dominant, but Red Bull and McLaren are kind of looking like midfield teams instead of the front-runners we’re used to.
Let’s dig into this déjà vu feeling so far. In Australia, George Russell, a fast and experienced driver, totally dominated the race, then kept that momentum going in the sprint qualifying and sprint race in Shanghai — just like Lando Norris did last year. The only difference being that Lewis won the sprint race last year in China. When it came to the main race, Kimi out-qualified George, similar to how Oscar outperformed Lando last year. That’s when Oscar started to do a lot better than his teammate. So, are we about to see the same thing happen with Kimi and George?
Here’s my take... Do I think Kimi could have a better season than George Russell? Absolutely. He’s quick in the corners and reminds me a lot of a younger Max Verstappen — not afraid to take risks. The main difference, I’d say, is that Kimi has a more sensitive and kind-hearted nature than Max did at that age. Max was really aggressive and seemed to care little about what others thought, but that’s not quite Kimi. Still, could that be a problem for Kimi later on? Will he be more willing to sit back and wait his turn? Honestly, I think a lot depends on Toto Wolff. Toto’s been in this situation before, managing two drivers vying for the top spot, so I believe he’ll back George and make sure everyone knows who the number-one driver is for this season. But wouldn’t it be amazing if Kimi went on to win the drivers’ championship at such a young age? Of course it would! This kid came out of nowhere and has been dominating at such an early stage. Who wouldn’t see him as the next big thing after what he’s achieved in just a year and two races? Could Kimi be the next Lewis Hamilton or Michael Schumacher? Maybe. Could he break the record for most championships? It’s definitely possible, but it’s still very early in his F1 journey — so a lot can happen.
Now, let’s talk about good old George Russell. He’s been with Mercedes and their driver academy since he was young, and was expected to be the next guy to take over when Lewis Hamilton decided to leave or retire. Well, Lewis left, and it was supposed to be George’s time to shine... but is he about to get overtaken by this young upstart? Honestly, I think George should start looking around each team’s garage — just in case. I don’t see Toto wanting to sit back and waste time, not winning driver and constructor’s titles. This year could really be a breakout year for George, much like Lando’s was last year.
Of course, I hate to compare the "Weather Man" (George Russell) with the "Cry Baby" (Lando Norris — as we call them in our friend group), but both seem to be facing similar challenges. Last season, Lando had a younger teammate, Oscar Piastri, outperforming him most of the time. Right now, I can see the same thing happening to George. But in my opinion — and I think the boys would agree — George is a better driver than Lando. Plus, George has Toto Wolff backing him instead of Zak Brown. Toto’s been through this before with a young Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. When you watch this season’s "Drive to Survive," he even jokes about it with Bono. As long as Kimi doesn’t start running away with the points, I think George will remain the number-one driver for Mercedes and could even win this year’s drivers’ championship — as long as no other team suddenly looks stronger or starts to take over.
The déjà vu feeling is really hitting hard after just two races this year. So let’s see what unfolds in the coming races and whether more similarities pop up. For now, though, it’s feeling incredibly familiar.
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