George Russell sees McLaren closing in but hints rule changes could shake things up and hand Mercedes a shot at victory.
George Russell believes McLaren’s current form is strong but not as dominant as Red Bull’s early-season performance in previous years. And while Mercedes may still be trailing, the British driver sees a glimmer of opportunity ahead.
“In terms of where we stand against McLaren, the gap is much smaller than what there was between McLaren and Red Bull at the start of last season,” Russell said. “Red Bull did have some serious strengths… but it’s also a case of Red Bull being reeled in while McLaren developed well throughout the year.”
Russell is particularly curious about how upcoming technical regulations could shake things up—specifically, new rules limiting flexible wings that come into effect at the Spanish Grand Prix.
“Barcelona’s going to be really telling,” he explained. “That’s when the flexible wing rules come in. And that’s an area where McLaren has been really strong. Until then, I don’t see the order changing much. But after that weekend, we’ll really know if they take a step back and if the field closes up.”
The Mercedes driver also praised McLaren’s tire management in hot conditions, like in Bahrain and Jeddah, pointing out that their pace during practice was on another level.
“They’ve clearly figured something out with tire performance,” he said. “We saw in Bahrain, during FP3, they were a full second ahead of everyone. That just doesn’t happen normally.”
Russell thinks McLaren will remain a threat on high-degradation tracks such as Bahrain, Barcelona, Budapest, Singapore, and Zandvoort. But other venues might open the door for Mercedes.
“When we get to places like Vegas, maybe that’s where things flip in our favor,” Russell said. “And if that happens, maybe we can sneak in and grab a win.”
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Russell: McLaren pace not untouchable as Red Bull’s was
Russell: McLaren pace not untouchable as Red Bull’s was
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