Russell analyses: 'That's where the car really comes into its own'

Mercedes hoped to fight for victory at Zandvoort last weekend, but that proved too much to hope for. George Russell did manage to secure second place, finishing behind Max Verstappen.

While Ferrari have frequently battled Red Bull Racing for wins this season, it was Mercedes at the front in the Netherlands. For example, Lewis Hamilton drove into first place during the safety car, while Russell was not far behind his teammate. For Russell, however, this came as no surprise.

The Briton had expected Mercedes to be strong in the Netherlands after Hungary. "These are two very similar circuits: high downforce; a lot of medium speed corners," Russell explained on the press conference of the FIA. "And that's where the car really comes into its own."

According to Russell, Mercedes is making good progress this season but it is not yet enough to fight at the front all the time. However, the driver is convinced that better performances in qualifying can contribute to further success.

"Globally, we're bringing a lot of performance to the car. And, as I said, I think we have a car that's capable of fighting victory, we just need to be able to start a little bit higher up the order," Russell said.