George Russell admits Mercedes lags behind McLaren on pace, relying on rivals’ errors to stay within reach in the championship fight.
George Russell doesn’t believe McLaren will keep making the mistakes that have, so far, allowed Mercedes to stay in the fight. According to the British driver, McLaren, especially with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri at the wheel—are the real title contenders this season.
“I’d love to say we can keep up, but honestly, you’ve seen what McLaren can do in the hands of great drivers. Right now, they’re clearly ahead of the pack,” Russell admitted, sounding almost resigned to the team’s current place in the pecking order.
“Before Bahrain, we thought that would be their best-case scenario. But then we went to China, cold, low-grip conditions—and they still took pole and won the race.”
Russell says Mercedes is already trailing by 40 points in the championship, not necessarily because of car performance, but because McLaren hasn’t maximized every opportunity.
“Realistically, they’ve had a car that could’ve taken a 1-2 in every race so far. The only reason we’re still in the mix is because of a few slip-ups on their end. But let’s be honest, those little mistakes aren’t going to keep happening for 24 races.”
Antonelli Ready to Tackle Jeddah: “It’ll Be Intense”
Meanwhile, rising star Andrea Kimi Antonelli is gearing up for his first experience at the high-speed street circuit of Jeddah, and he’s excited.
“It’s going to be fast, and definitely exciting,” Antonelli said. “It’s an intense track, so finding the rhythm early in FP1 will be key. But we’re looking forward to it.”
Reflecting on the season so far, he admitted the last race was a tough one.
“It was probably the most difficult race so far. A lot of things didn’t go our way. But we’ve looked at what we could’ve done better, especially with tire management. I’ve learned a lot, and I’m aiming for a stronger weekend.”
“Qualifying in Bahrain was a step forward. I was feeling more confident, pushing harder, and maybe a bit too hard in Q3. But this is a true street circuit. It’s different from F2, sure, but there’s no reason we can’t fight for a strong result.”
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