Mercedes Poised to Pounce as McLaren Sets the Pace

Lewis Hamilton applauds Red Bull’s innovation, despite concerns over their ride height system, and highlights Formula 1’s expanding success in the US.

Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, isn’t sure if Red Bull will face difficulties now that their ride height system is known, but he admires their innovation: “I’ve just heard about it, but I think our sport is all about innovation, and Red Bull has been leading the way.”

“All teams push the boundaries of the rules, even if it’s a bit on the edge. But in the end, they’ve done a great job. I’m not sure how long they’ve had it, and I don’t think it will stop them, but we all need to keep innovating.”

The seven-time world champion also praised Formula 1’s growing presence in the United States: “Having three Grands Prix here shows how important our sport has become in the US. This is a huge country, and people are passionate about sports in general.”

“Winning over NFL, baseball, or NBA fans isn’t easy. They’re used to watching several games a day or every week, and there was a time when we only came here once a year. But we’ve captured their hearts, and we want to do the same in other places.”

Russell Eyes Podium as McLaren Dominates in Austin

George Russell believes Mercedes must stay vigilant, ready to seize any opportunity amid McLaren’s pace advantage at the Austin Grand Prix.

George Russell is hopeful of targeting a podium finish in Austin, with the potential to take advantage of any issues ahead of him. The Mercedes F1 driver, however, isn’t confident about challenging for the win purely on pace, as McLaren appears to have the upper hand, though he’s cautious about revealing the full extent of their improvements.

“Do we have a significant upgrade?” Russell joked. “It’s exciting to get back to racing after three weeks off. We’ll be running the same floor we had in Montreal, ten races ago. I hope it’s a step forward, but we saw in Singapore that McLaren is a second ahead of everyone, and we need to close that gap.”

“At the moment, McLaren is the dominant team; they’ve had the car to win for several races. But we need to stay in a position to capitalise on others’ mistakes, and I believe we can fight for the top four on the grid and then the podium. If Lando and Max get into trouble, we might even aim for the win!”

When asked who the favourite for the title is, Russell suggested that Lando Norris still has a chance to challenge Max Verstappen: “Max is leading, so he’s in the best position! But Lando has the fastest car right now.”

“I absolutely think Lando can win this championship, and I’d even say he’s the favourite given Red Bull’s current form. From a neutral perspective, it’s going to be exciting. For me, it doesn’t change much. I’ll watch with interest, but we’ve got to keep fighting in our own way.”