George Russell has expressed confidence that Mercedes are in a better place with their new F1 challenger after a “peaky” 2024, but still feels McLaren are “without doubt the favourites” heading into the new season.
Mercedes enjoyed their most successful campaign in terms of race wins under F1’s ground effect ruleset last year, with Russell and then team mate Lewis Hamilton claiming two victories apiece – including a 1-2 finish in Las Vegas.
READ MORE: Russell identifies team who look ‘by far’ the strongest going into 2025 season
However, there were also some head-scratching lows, as the squad struggled to consistently unlock performance and ended the year fourth in the Teams’ Championship – behind McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull.
After three days of testing with the W16 machine at the Bahrain International Circuit a couple of weeks ago, Russell reckons Mercedes are in a solid place for this weekend’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
Mercedes’ new car is “not quite as peaky” as its predecessor, according to Russell
“I mean, the car is feeling good, to be honest,” he said. “I think last year, even though we finished in the lowest order that we have done in the last three years, we’ve won the most number of races.
“I have confidence that this car is going to be slightly more consistent, not quite as peaky. We might not see those mega highs like we saw in Vegas, sort of wiping the floor with everybody, but then hopefully we’re not going to see those lows as well that we saw at a few races.
“We can’t kid ourselves, we know McLaren are without doubt the favourites right now – they look absolutely dominant. I’m sure they’re going to be the ones to beat.”
Asked how long it might take to get a sense of the pecking order in 2025, given the idiosyncrasies of Melbourne’s Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit, Russell replied: “I’ve got to be honest, I don’t know. You look at the first six races of last year and nobody would have predicted that Red Bull wouldn’t comfortably win both championships.
“Of course, they won with Max [Verstappen], but it wasn’t a walk in the park, or it shouldn’t have been a walk in the park. Lando [Norris] and McLaren kept them on their toes, and obviously McLaren won the Teams’ Championship.
“Anything can change very quickly now. Especially when you have a 24-race season, you’ve got to keep on working hard, you can’t give up, and it’s going to be very difficult for all the teams to strike that balance between this season and then also into next.”
Antonelli is getting set to start his F1 career with the Silver Arrows
While Russell is preparing for his seventh F1 season, new team mate Kimi Antonelli – who has replaced Ferrari-bound Hamilton – is gearing up to debut in the sport.
Asked about his own feelings arriving in Australia, the Italian teenager commented: “It’s amazing. Obviously, it’s a dream coming true. I’ve been waiting for this moment for my whole life. The winter felt pretty long, I’m not going to lie!
“I’m super happy to be here. I think it’s a special place to do the first Grand Prix. I’m really looking forward to seeing, once we hit the ground, how we can do.”
Pushed on any early targets, he added: “It’s hard to say. I don’t really know what to expect, because it’s my first Grand Prix, so I don’t want to set anything too high. I just want to do a clean weekend, with a nice rhythm, in order to be able to build up from that point.
“I know the track, so I don’t have to learn it. You understand the track, where you can overtake, where you can defend the best, so definitely [racing here in] F2 was a good help last year.”
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