F1 News
Russell assesses Red Bull: 'With the upgrade they took a step back'
- Ludo van Denderen
When Red Bull Racing and Mercedes describe their season, they tell opposite stories. Red Bull lost momentum after an excellent start, while Mercedes actually had a difficult start to the season and the final Grands Prix had the wind in their sails. As a result, the difference between the two teams is now virtually zero. So which is it; Red Bull got less or Mercedes got better?
George Russell - responsible for one Mercedes victory in 2024 (he lost the win in Belgium to teammate Hamilton) - thinks the latter is the case: "I definitely think we and McLaren have made progress. And if you look at the gap to the teams lower down the order, it's definitely very clear to see."
'Mercedes made the biggest step forward'
So in each case, Red Bull has caught up - and passed? "I think Red Bull took a small step back with the upgrade they brought. But I think the upgrade we put on the car was a bigger step forward than we have seen with any other team. So let's see what the next upgrades bring, and hopefully, we will manage to do the same with those."
On paper, Mercedes seems to have a good chance of winning at Zandvoort. Yet the favourite for the win seems to be McLaren, which has been ahead of Mercedes and Red Bull Racing in terms of speed in recent weeks. Due to all sorts of factors, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri did not manage to exploit that advantage every time.
This article has been written in translation with Ben Stevens.
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