George Russell Admits Huge Claim For Mercedes At Australian Grand Prix

The Australian Grand Prix went very quickly downhill for George Russell after his Mercedes W14 came to a halt on lap 18 of the Melbourne race. Suffering from power unit failure, flames erupted from the rear of the car forcing the British driver to pull over and retire from the race. With the driver holding first position at the beginning of the race before succumbing to some safety car-based bad luck, he was very disappointed in this ending. Despite this, he has a large claim for his team after this weekend.

Reflecting on the race, Russell believed his team could have fought for a victory over the potent Red Bulls.

"We did everything right this weekend. We had a great Qualifying yesterday and today, the start was perfect.

"We managed the first stint well and I could have extended it quite a lot more. I've felt comfortable and strong in the car on all three days.

"I see no reason why we couldn't have fought for victory today, so it's disappointing. As soon as I came through the high-speed turn 10, I felt something go. Three corners later, I was stopped. When it's not your day, it's not your day.

Admitting that the likes of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez are still far ahead in development and performance, Russell is optimistic and enthusiastic about the improvements to come:

"We've still got a lot of work to do to catch Red Bull, but we can take the positives from this weekend. Every time we've taken to the track, we couldn't have done any more. We maximised everything and I'm proud of the job that we have done."

The next race on the F1 calendar, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, promises upgrades for the Brackley team who are intending to overhaul their W14 quite substantially. Whether this means they'll be able to fight for wins alongside Red Bull, we don't know, but we're excited to see more teams fighting at the very front of the pack.

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