Lando Norris believes George Russell has become less fun now that he has moved on to the Mercedes team.
Russell and Norris made their Formula One advances in 2019 after fighting for the Formula 2 title during the previous season, Russell joined Williams while Norris went to McLaren.
The couple knew each other long before they had climbed the youth ladder together.
Norris remains McLaren driver, while Russell got a change to the Mercedes team for 2022, a move that has benefited Russell on the track, but according to Norris, not in terms of personality.
Norris said everyone around him has struggled to make sure he stays true to who he is, but Mercedes, though unintentionally, has taken Russell out of the fun.
“My manager, my coach, my parents, have always tried to keep me like me, instead of trying to shape me,” Norris told the Press Association.
“I see other drivers being trained more by who they’re with, the teams they’re with, and I don’t think it’s a good thing. It takes away their personality.
“Growing up with George, for example, was a lot of fun. He was a great person, but Mercedes is different: a different environment and a different environment. I just don’t see a funny side to him.
“George is a great person, and I think the personality he had a few years ago would be even more popular.
“I don’t think it’s Mercedes’ fault, but the pressure of being with Mercedes and having Lewis [Hamilton] as a teammate, it will never be an easy thing.
“You don’t want to be seen having fun and playing, but on the other hand there are no complaints because George is doing an amazing job this year, so it’s working for him.”
Russell has recorded a trio of podiums with Mercedes until 2022, having finished no less than P5 in the first five rounds.
It means Russell has 111 points on the board, compared to Hamilton’s 77. Norris has done 50 so far.