Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 may have capped the year as the runner-up in the Constructors’ Championship, but it’s not resting on its laurels. Now, it’s looking at the angle on its drivers’ huge performance gap.

Reports said Mercedes F1 was perplexed at the significant disparity in the performances of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell during races, so it launched a review to find out the reason why. UK’s Daily Express suggested that the latter’s confusion over the matter caused the team to look into it.

Hamilton finished 2023 in third place on the Drivers’ Standings with 234 points. Meanwhile, Russell concluded the year in eighth with 175 points. That’s 59 points between the two Mercedes drivers operating same-spec W14 race cars.

“It’s definitely something we’ve noticed,” Russell revealed in an interview. “Lewis and I, over the course of the year, I don’t think we’ve ever been at the same pace.”

The younger Mercedes driver pointed out some occasions where he would emerge as the more dominant driver, only to fall behind again the next race. His veteran partner with seven championships in his record would control most events though.

The most recent example of this trend was exhibited in the US and Mexican Gran Prix where Hamilton was the runner-up in both races, just to struggle again in Abu Dhabi where it would truly matter because of the narrow gap between Mercedes and Ferrari in the standings.

The Britons got P3 and P8 in the last race, which was just enough to ensure their team’s P2 in the Constructors with a narrow three points. But then again, it should be noted that it also came with a stroke of luck coming from the failure of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz to score in the last race of this season.