Lando Norris reacts with three-word message to Lewis Hamilton’s ‘mega’ Las Vegas Grand Prix display

Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen may have grabbed the headlines at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, but Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton was the driver of the day.

Mercedes were in a fantastic position heading into the Las Vegas Grand Prix with George Russell starting on pole position.

The British driver was imperious in the build-up to qualifying and many expected teammate Lewis Hamilton to fight to start from first ahead of Q3.

However, the problems that have plagued Mercedes for years reappeared and two errors forced Hamilton to recover from 10th place.

The seven-time world champion did just that, managing to edge out the McLaren and Ferrari drivers to finish 2nd behind Russell.

At one point, Hamilton was upset that he encountered a lot of traffic, but the strategy ended up working in his favor.

Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images

He was extremely fast and had a superior race pace to Russell in his final stint, closing the gap before a late error ended his chances of a dramatic victory.

Hamilton’s friends and family are wary of Mercedes’ treatment of him as his time with the team draws to a close, but they kept their promises by putting his car in Las Vegas.

The 39-year-old took to Instagram to celebrate his and Russell’s result and McLaren driver Lando Norris sent his congratulatory message.

Norris had already responded to Max Verstappen’s championship victory and, on a rare day when McLaren was behind, he was publicly delighted for his rivals.

Lando Norris and George Russell send a message to Lewis Hamilton after the Las Vegas Grand Prix

Hamilton and Russell drove brilliantly and although they had to overcome different challenges to finish on the podium, it was a very encouraging result for a team that has struggled to understand why their car was fast or slow for years.

After his showing in Las Vegas, Hamilton said: “From 10 to (two).

“It’s always a good time to fight on the grid. Well done to George for the win and to the team for all the work that got us to 1-2.

“I certainly didn’t expect this result, and it’s a true testament to the time, effort and teamwork that goes into it. There are 2 races left, let’s keep this momentum and finish in style.

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Russell responded to his teammate’s post and said: “Great runner! Proud to be up there with you!! while Norris simply said: “Mega race mate.” »

George Russell prepares to step out of Lewis Hamilton’s shadow at Mercedes next season

After three seasons at Williams and three campaigns alongside Hamilton and Mercedes, Russell will be the lead driver for a team potentially capable of winning many races.

Russell may have been inexperienced during his time at Williams, but he quickly proved he was fast enough to earn a seat at Mercedes.

This year, he outperformed Hamilton – who holds the record for Formula 1 pole positions – in qualifying, leading their record 17-5.

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Russell hopes Mercedes can finally understand the performance of its car with the updated 2025 version which is currently under development at its Brackley factory.

He also has the added challenge of having rookie Kimi Antonelli join him on the team.

If Russell expects to beat the young Italian, he will also have to compensate for the loss of knowledge within Mercedes with Hamilton’s departure to Ferrari.