George Russell admits McLaren’s pace is untouchable, suggesting they could halt development and still dominate the 2024 Formula 1 season.
George Russell will start from P4 tomorrow in Melbourne, giving him a solid shot at a podium. But what really shocked him—though perhaps not entirely surprised him—was the gap between himself and pole-sitter Lando Norris: half a second!
Mercedes is clearly not in the same league as McLaren, and Russell is understandably concerned after the first qualifying session of the year.
“They (McLaren) have such an advantage that they could stop developing the car right now and focus entirely on 2026 because it’s tough to close such a gap,” said Russell.
“Red Bull started 2024 with a massive lead over everyone, but I don’t think the others outdeveloped them. They made upgrades that, in the end, set them back—or maybe some clarifications in the regulations played a role.”
“If you start the season six-tenths ahead, no one is going to find six-tenths over the rest of the year. So McLaren is in a perfect position for both the present and the future.”
Where is McLaren’s Advantage? Russell Points to Tires and Slow Corners
Russell has pinpointed where McLaren is excelling: tire management and slow-speed corners.
“Just look at their strength in Singapore, their weakness in Las Vegas, and their race pace during Bahrain testing.”
“It’s all about the tires. If you’re fast in the final sector here in Australia, it’s got to be down to the tires. They’re doing something really special, that’s for sure.”
“As expected, McLaren is comfortably ahead. After that, I think the battle this season will be between us, Red Bull, and Ferrari.”
“But then you have surprises like Yuki (Tsunoda), and (Isack) Hadjar has been very competitive this weekend. Williams also showed promising signs in qualifying, but the real test will be in the race.”
First Qualifying Session, First Setback for Antonelli
On the other side of the Mercedes garage, rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli had a tough debut. A mistake in Q1 saw him run off track, damaging his car and costing him half a second—just enough to miss out on Q2.
“It was a bit unlucky. On the medium tires, I needed one more lap to get them in the right window. Then we switched to the softs, but after Turn 6, the car was already damaged.”
“I don’t know exactly how much time I lost, but I could feel a big loss on the straights and a significant drop in aerodynamic grip. The car just wasn’t the same after that, and unfortunately, it compromised our session.”
“Tomorrow, it’s going to rain, so anything can happen. We’ll try to turn things around and take something positive from this.”
Toto Wolff: Mercedes in the Fight but Trailing McLaren
Team boss Toto Wolff reflected on Mercedes’ performance. Should they be satisfied with being in the podium mix, or concerned about McLaren’s pace?
“We’re in the fight, but realistically, we’re two-tenths behind McLaren, and we have to accept that.”
Two-tenths, according to Wolff—or closer to five after Q3.
As for Antonelli’s unlucky exit, Wolff sympathized:
“Kimi went slightly wide—nothing out of the ordinary—but it was enough to break the bib and front assembly. At least tomorrow, he’ll have an exciting race, which is great for his learning.”
Looking ahead to the race, Wolff expects a tight battle at the front:
“You can see how close it is. Between Verstappen, the two Ferraris—who weren’t as quick today but are definitely in the mix—we could have six cars fighting it out.”
“In terms of race pace, we were all quite similar, except maybe McLaren, who seemed a little ahead. But I don’t think today’s result truly reflects where Ferrari is—they should be a bit higher up.”
Race day is shaping up to be an exciting one, especially with rain in the forecast. Will McLaren convert their qualifying dominance into victory, or will Mercedes and Red Bull have something up their sleeve?
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Russell Stunned: McLaren’s Lead Too Big to Catch! Russell Stunned: McLaren’s Lead Too Big to Catch!
