F1 News
Russell thinks world title will be tough: 'If we are realistic...'
- Cas van de Kleut
Along with Red Bull Racing, Mercedes were also in action on Tuesday in Bahrain before winter testing began. The German team with George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli behind the steering wheel could complete their first miles in the new W16 on Monday. While Russell was enthusiastic about the atmosphere within the team, the Brit did not seem to want to get too excited about the new car just yet.
"I've definitely got some first impressions, which I'll keep to myself for now which I will keep to myself for now. It's important not to jump to any conclusions because we know from last year, circuit to circuit, the performance fluctuations were massive from all of the teams. From what I feel so far, I'm happy," Russell began.
Does Mercedes stand a chance of winning the title?
So can Mercedes compete for the title? About this, the Briton said: "You always say you want to fight for a championship but, being realistic and knowing where we finished last year, that's quite a stretch. But we know that if we go in every single weekend and we try to maximise every single result, who knows where that will take us? I'm just going into every race as though it's a race we can win and seeing where that takes us over the course of the season."
After the shakedown, Russell also revealed that his team is very motivated to improve on last season's performance. He stated that there is a great atmosphere at the Brackley and Brixworth factories, and for that reason, he is eager to hit the track. He is also looking forward to working with new teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli, with the Brit saying he will do everything he can to help the Italian youngster during his first season in Formula 1.
This article was written in collaboration with Olly Darcy
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