Lewis Hamilton 'has never really been happy' with Mercedes' decision to replace Valtteri Bottas with George Russell, it has been claimed.
The Briton is currently spending his final months with the Silver Arrows, having agreed a sensational move to Ferrari.
But while Hamilton remains focused on performing for Mercedes, it's been yet another difficult campaign for the 39-year-old.
He has failed to win a single race since 2021 and currently sits ninth in the F1 standings, a huge 109 points behind reigning champion Max Verstappen.
Lewis Hamilton is leaving Mercedes for Ferrari at the end of the season
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Now, according to F1 journalist Peter Windsor, Hamilton has 'never really been happy' with having Russell as his team-mate.
Russell has fared better than Hamilton so far this season, having amassed 37 points from the first six races of the campaign.
And Windsor, speaking on his YouTube channel, has claimed Hamilton has never been happy with Toto Wolff's decision to replace Bottas with Russell three years ago.
“To me, it’s still an unanswered question why he signed George to replace Valtteri because Valtteri was a very good team-mate to Lewis," he said.
“Lewis has never really been happy with George as we’ve said from day one, because basically George is quicker.”
Russell beat Hamilton in his first season at Mercedes.
And the 26-year-old won the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix, which remains the team's only victory during their partnership.
Hamilton will have a new partnership at Ferrari next season, with the Stevenage-born racer set to race alongside Charles Leclerc.
Leclerc has won five races during his career and it'll be fascinating to see how the dynamics of their relationship work out.
Former F1 star Juan Pablo Montoya recently discussed the duo.
And he feels there could be a personality clash between the two men, telling RacingNews365: "It will be interesting to see how smooth that goes with Charles and Lewis in the cars, to be honest.
"There's going to be a personality clash there. It's going to be fun to watch."
Montoya also expressed a belief that Carlos Sainz should join Red Bull, instead of Mercedes, with the Ferrari star without a team for next term.
"I think Carlos right now would be the best choice in my opinion [at Red Bull], especially if there's talk of Max leaving," he said.
"If they're thinking about Max leaving, they need to have an A-plus driver as a back-up.
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Lewis Hamilton 'has never really been happy' with George Russell being his team-mate at Mercedes
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"You can't have Checo and Max leave because then you have nothing.
"But right now he (Sainz) is doing the job. He's doing what needs to be done.
"Could there be better drivers? Probably.
Lewis Hamilton had a good relationship with Valtteri Bottas during their time at Mercedes together
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"But I think in the right situation, Carlos can be really good."
Hamilton and Russell, meanwhile, are currently preparing for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
The event commences next Sunday, with Hamilton previously winning the race in 2020.
