After the first shakedown in Barcelona the bookmakers have installed George Russell as the title favourite. Mercedes racked up trouble-free kilometres on the Spanish asphalt and, now in his fifth year with the team, Russell stands as Brackley’s flagbearer. The 27-year-old Brit, however, is wary of that favourite label. After a few successful test days he still won’t call himself a champion, although he does feel ready to fight for a title.
Mercedes looks back on three very productive test days at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. In the run-up to the new season and the sweeping regulation changes within Formula 1 the German outfit was already regarded as one of the most formidable teams. During the previous major regulation overhaul Mercedes emerged best of the lot. Based on last week’s results the bookmakers think history could repeat itself, with George Russell tipped as a future world champion.
“I feel ready to fight for a world championship,” a combative Russell said during Mercedes’ season launch. “Whether a title awaits us or not, that doesn’t change my approach. It’s a huge challenge to adapt to all the new systems, but the whole team has worked incredibly hard to extract the maximum from these regulations. I have confidence.”
Battle with Red Bull
Red Bull also looked strong in Barcelona. How does Russell view a possible title fight with rival Max Verstappen? “I’d love for it to go that way,” he replied. “I want to take him on — Max — and Lando (Norris, ed.) too. But that doesn’t add extra pressure. Many fans might expect a title battle between Mercedes and McLaren, but the other power-unit manufacturers are in good shape as well. Red Bull has always had a great car, even during Mercedes’ heyday,” he stressed. “And we know how good Max is; he will certainly be fighting for wins.”
“We’ve only driven the car for three days,” Russell repeated. “It’s way too early to make claims about title chances, but to quote Toto (Wolff, ed.): ‘Our car is certainly no piece of junk.’ That’s always a plus,” the Brit joked. “But whether it’s a car we can win a championship with is far too early to say. We did leave Barcelona with a positive feeling because the car reacted as we expected. The aero and the balance matched the simulator. We haven’t seen that as a team since 2021. But that doesn’t mean we should underestimate our rivals. The Red Bull engine is running well and Ferrari looks reliable too. It could develop into a proper fight,” he concluded.
