F1 News
Russell on bad years at Mercedes: 'Needed to reset'
- Savannah Lenz
After George Russell joined Mercedes, the team was not in a position to compete for titles. The regulations that were introduced in 2022 did not work out well for the team, which had won eight constructors' championships in a row under the previous regulations. Speaking to Sky Sports, Russell said that the team just needed some time to make it all work out.
While his Mercedes cars have often not been the quickest, being the lack of consistency of the German team their main issue across the last three years, leaving him to make do with lesser machinery to that of his rivals, on the days when Mercedes has been a contender he's managed to bring home some good results for the team, including three Grand Prix wins in Brazil '22, Austria '24 and Las Vegas '24.
Russell's hopes for the new F1 season
However, Russell does have hope for the new season: "It's been a tough couple of years, of course we haven't had anywhere close to success that we, we hoped for and what we've worked towards, but, I feel that we potentially almost needed those years to reset, to change the mould to start it on a fresh start."
The Briton continued, "Of course, into this year, but also next year, it's going to be a huge season for every team and so much focus into getting that right because we know that if you start on the right tracks, it can set you up for years to come."
For the 2025 season and beyond, Russell will be paired with rookie, Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The Mercedes duo will go up against strong driver lineups like Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc at Ferrari, one of the more experienced driver pairings on the grid. But that doesn't stop the British driver from wanting to get back to racing and proving his worth
"I'm really pumped, really excited. The break was nice, but I want to go racing now."
This article was written in collaboration with Cas van de Kleut.
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