“Lewis Hamilton has his ego flown in by jumbo jet”

Hamilton’s 2022 was statistically the worst of his career - he didn’t win a single grand prix for the first time ever and now, aged 37, must find a way to wrestle back F1 dominance from his great rival Max Verstappen.

But Russell has also emerged as a potential threat - the younger Mercedes driver was responsible for the team’s only race win of 2022, in Brazil. It was Russell’s first-ever victory and he sees himself as a future world champion.

"They are an interesting duo in terms of personalities, because Lewis Hamilton usually has his ego flown in by jumbo jet and George Russell is more of a chatterbox who approaches things with an open mind,” Danner said to Sport1.

“To have those two in one team, I find very exciting.”

Germany’s Danner, now 64, drove in F1 during the 1980s for Zakspeed, Osella, Arrows and Rial.

He thinks Ferrari will regret replacing team principal Mattia Binotto with Fred Vasseur: "There is a magic word for success in Formula 1, and that is continuity.

"I am afraid Ferrari will be set back up three years by the departure of Mattia Binotto.”