Doornbos suggests Russell was never an option: 'Car was not optimal for his body'

Confirmation was very late

It took Hamilton a long time, but on Monday it was finally announced that the seven-time world champion would drive for Mercedes again in 2021. "It is very special that it took so long", Doornbos said in a conversation with Motorsport.com.

Despite the fact that it had to take a long time, Doornbos was sure for a long time that Hamilton would be in the car in 2021. "That it had to be right, you could count on your fingers, because Mercedes was obviously already well on its way to building this year's car", the Dutchman continued.

Russell would never fit in the car

One of the obstacles that meant George Russell was never really an option for Mercedes was that the car was too tight for the young Briton says, Doornbos. "You saw when Russell got in at Sakhir that the car was not optimal for his taller body. You then find yourself with a monocoque that is too tight and you can't just fix that."

During Russell's substitution, the 2018 Formula 2 champion had to wear a size smaller pair of shoes to fit better in the car. Hamilton is about ten centimetres shorter than Russell. Because the difference in height is so great and the car was already in advanced stages, Russell was therefore no longer an option. Yet Mercedes waited a long time before announcing Hamilton.