Russell optimistic about Mercedes's new F1 car for 2025 season
What's the story
George Russell, one of the leading names in Formula 1, believes that Mercedes AMG are in a better place with their new F1 challenger for the upcoming season.
The optimism follows what he termed a "peaky" year in 2024.
However, despite the positive outlook, Russell considers McLaren as the frontrunners for the new season.
"I mean, the car is feeling good, to be honest," he said as quoted by the Formula 1 website.
Past performance
Mercedes had a successful 2024 season
The 2024 season witnessed Mercedes finding great success under Formula 1's ground effect ruleset.
Russell and his then-teammate Lewis Hamilton each bagged two wins.
This included a memorable one-two finish in the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
However, despite the success, the team failed to consistently unlock performance and ended the year fourth in the Constructors' Championship behind McLaren, Scuderia Ferrari, and Red Bull Racing.
Optimism
Russell's confidence for the 2025 season
After three days of testing with the W16 machine at Bahrain International Circuit, Russell is confident about Mercedes's position for the Australian Grand Prix.
He said, "The car is feeling good... I have confidence that this car is going to be slightly more consistent, not quite as peaky."
He also acknowledged McLaren as strong contenders, saying, "We can't kid ourselves, they look absolutely dominant" and are "without doubt the favorites right now."
Uncertainty
Russell on the unpredictability of F1
Russell also spoke about the unpredictability of Formula 1, especially the pecking order in 2025.
Referring to last year's first six races, he said "Nobody would have predicted that Red Bull wouldn't comfortably win both championships."
He stressed that "anything can change very quickly now," particularly with a long season ahead.
This underlines the unpredictable nature of Formula 1 and how quickly things can change in a race.
Debut
Antonelli gears up for F1 debut
Russell's new teammate at Mercedes, rookie Kimi Antonelli, is gearing up for his debut in the sport.
The Italian teenager was excited about the opportunity, saying, "It's amazing. Obviously, it's a dream coming true... I'm super happy to be here," he stated as per Formula 1.
He also said he was excited about racing at Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit and looks forward to seeing how he can perform once the season starts.
Stats
Russel's 2024 season and his career stats
In the 2024 season, the Briton finished sixth in the standings with 245 points.
He managed four podium finishes last season, including two first-place finishes.
Overall, he owns three wins from 128 race starts alongside 15 podiums. Russell also owns six poles and eight fastest laps records.
Notably, his best finish in a season came during the 2022 season when he finished fourth overall.