Russell's brutal take on Mercedes' title shot: 'Suzuka was McLaren's worst-case scenario'

It was yet another podium for George Russell after a very strong drive. A grand result for Mercedes' F1 driver, as he was able to fend off Lando Norris in a much quicker McLaren to retain his P2.

Is this the best P2 of Russell's F1 career? "I’ve not actually had that many P2s to be honest. I’ve had a few P3s, but we did not expect to be anywhere close to McLaren this weekend," said the Briton during the FIA's post-race press conference.

"Qualifying on the front row was a real surprise. And then seeing Lando right up there on lap one behind me, I thought, 'He’s going to fly off into the distance here.' Oscar (Piastri, race winner, ed.) did an amazing job to control the race, but to keep Lando at bay, I was really, really pleased about."

That Mercedes were able to flaunt its pace both on Saturday and on Sunday, will certainly lift the team's spirits, as in a very hot Bahrain, the team did not falter, as it was often the case when they were faced with similar conditions in recent seasons.

"This was the real sort of test for us. We knew that our car likes the cold conditions, and the competitiveness we showed in China and Suzuka was no major surprise. But this was going to be the question mark – here in Bahrain. And we've had another strong weekend. So it bodes well for the season."

'McLaren's 2-3 in the F1 Japanese Grand Prix was their worst-case scenario'

However, is a P2 with a Norris out of position, penalised and forced to give places back from irregular overtakes a true show of strength? Russell doubts the title contender role will be in the cards for him anytime soon.

"I’d love to say so (that he's a title contender, ed.), but I don’t think we are, to be honest. McLaren are just too dominant right now. I think this is probably going to be their peak performance – what we saw this week in Bahrain. And what we saw in China and Suzuka is probably their worst-case scenario and they still obviously got one victory from those two races.

"So we’ve got to keep on picking up the points, picking up the pieces. And this weekend we picked up the pieces to get a P2 – and we did it in Melbourne as well to get the P3. I don’t expect this to continue for many races to come, but who knows," concluded Russell.

Read also

Does this clause ensure Verstappen can move to Mercedes thanks to Russell?

Stewards reach verdict on Russell's DRS infringement!

Russell on nerve wracking race: 'Gives us confidence for the future'