Russell sends warning to McLaren: 'It's true and real'

The weekend in Canada proved strong for Mercedes, with both drivers finishing in the top four, and the team achieving their first podium of the season in a Grand Prix race. Although Max Verstappen had a great race, the same could not be said for this teammate Sergio Perez who suffered too much damage and was unable to finish, after starting in 16th. Nevertheless, Russell is confident the leaders in the Constructors Championship will bounce back: "I think Red Bull have struggled a little bit the last couple of races, yet they've still won two of the last three. So I expect them to probably take a small step when we go back to the European races on more conventional circuits."

'I think we can fight with McLaren'

Following Sunday's race, the gap between McLaren and Mercedes is now 88 points, which Russell is confident the team can close: "I really think our performance step is true and it's real. I think we can be in this fight with McLaren," he said. Mercedes had a strong weekend overall, performing well in free practice, with the team featuring in the top three of the last two sessions. Hamilton also secured the fastest lap of the race in the final lap. At one point, it looked set that he would take the podium until Russell overtook him. 

However, for the British driver, he also hopes the team can catch up with Red Bull and Ferrari, as the title fight heats up. Between the top two there is now 49 points between them after neither Ferrari finished. "Let's hope we can continue being in the fight with Max. And let's see with Ferrari, they obviously had a bit of an off weekend. Those last three laps, I was so focused to get back on the podium because I felt like I let the team down a bit, just losing sight of Max and a few mistakes that put me in that position in the first place," the Mercedes driver concluded.