Lew's last dance won't reach Max

"IF Lewis were to leave," pondered George Russell as he addressed the prospect of Hamilton joining Ferrari. "That would put Mercedes in a tricky spot. It would almost look like he's lost faith in the team."

- PHILIP DUNCAN

Russell was speaking in an episode of Netflix's newly-released Drive to Survive series - a chapter the Mercedes' PR machine envisaged would celebrate Hamilton's decision to stay with them.

Hamilton, after all, had signed a two-year contract extension last August to remain with the Silver Arrows until the end of 2025.

But following his shock decision to tear up his contract a year early in favour of a move to Ferrari, Russell's remarks shed a very public spotlight on the awkward dynamic that faces the grid's once-dominant team and its superstar driver ahead of the new season which starts in Bahrain on Saturday night.

Mercedes transformed Hamilton from a man with a single world championship to a one-man winning machine. He has seven world championships and 103 victories. No other driver in history can boast such an impressive resume.