F1 News
Russell has clear target for 2025: 'I won't be satisfied with that'
A new chapter will begin at Mercedes next season. After a decade, Lewis Hamilton will leave the German team, and youngster Andrea Kimi Antonelli will replace the seven-time world champion. The one constant is George Russell in their driver line-up, who talked about his goals for the upcoming year.
With Antonelli coming in, now Russell will be the experienced driver at Mercedes, teaming up with a talent. When talking about the upcoming season, the Briton underlined he will have the same approach as always. "Formula One is so unique, so you cannot really set goals like that. If I say that I want to win four races this year because last year I won three (ed. Russell won twice, but crossed the finish line first at Spa before getting disqualified for his car being under the minimal weight limit), I am not going to be satisfied if I win five but the car is capable of 10," the driver began on Mercedes' website.
Russell wants to improve on race pace
He continued explaining where he thinks he needs to improved compared to the previous year. "I tend to keep my goals on more details targets. Last year Qualifying was my strength, but my race pace was not always the best. I know I have the speed over one lap but there is no reason why I should not be able to convert that over the course of a race."
Russell also added that he has other targets as well. "I need to work on some elements to achieve that, and there will be some other goals – that perhaps are not clear to the fans at home but are at the forefront of my mind."
Last year, Mercedes managed to do well over the middle part of the season, winning three out of four from the Austrian until the Belgian GP. Later, the Germans struggled, but were dominant in colder conditions at the Las Vegas GP. Still, as it is unknown how Mercedes' challenger will fare against their rivals in 2025, Russell shied away from relying on what has been working for his team. "The great thing about F1 is you enter a new year, with a new car and new limitations – something that may have been a strength last year may not be this year. You always have to adapt," he concluded.
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