Mercedes driver George Russell said that the German team is optimistic about the changes to the car for the upcoming season, adding that he is ready to fight for the title in the Formula 1 championship.
- There were many… I wouldn’t say direct changes from last season to this season, these are things that have been in preparation for a long time, things that we couldn’t put on the car in 2024, but we worked on them for a long time. We are optimistic that it will be a good step in the right direction. Of course, you never know what your rivals have done – said Rasel , “Skaj” reported.
After eight consecutive Constructors’ Championship titles, Mercedes have struggled since the introduction of the new rules in 2022, winning just one race that season and going winless in 2023.
The German team made some progress in 2024, as Russell and his then-teammate Lewis Hamilton recorded two victories each, but they were almost 200 points behind the champion team – McLaren, taking fourth place in the constructors’ standings.
Russell added that he is “absolutely ready” for the title in Formula 1, pointing out that his time in Mercedes coincided with the car’s poor performance.
- I feel ready, everyone in the team is very motivated. I feel like these years have been kind of trial and error, but every time we’ve had a chance to win, we’ve won. This gives me optimism that if we have a car, we can make it happen – said the 26-year-old British driver.
Russell was faster than his teammate in two of the three seasons during which he performed together with Hamilton. At the end of the season, Hamilton left Mercedes after 13 years and moved to Ferrari, while the new driver of the German team became the 18-year-old Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli .
Mercedes has announced the launch of its new V16 car for February 24th.
The new Formula 1 season, in which Red Bull driver Max Verstappen is defending the title, will begin on March 16 with the race for the Australian Grand Prix.
