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George Russell, Mercedes driver, believes his team was faster than Ferrari during the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in the 2025 Formula 1 season. However, he acknowledged that McLaren and Red Bull were operating on a completely different performance level. After finishing third at Albert Park, Russell expressed his satisfaction with securing a podium finish.
“It wasn’t the best weekend for us, but I’m happy to be on the podium. My teammate Kimi (Antonelli) also did a great job in his first race!” he said.
The British driver added that he had hoped for mistakes from the drivers ahead due to the unpredictable weather conditions, but that didn’t happen.
“I personally enjoy these kinds of weather conditions. I was hoping the drivers ahead would make errors, but they all managed to stay focused,” he explained.
He noted that driving in such conditions is always challenging but emphasized that this is what makes Formula 1 exciting.
“Racing in these conditions is never easy, but that’s what makes Formula 1 such a thrilling sport. I hope the fans enjoyed the race,” he added.
A Strong Start, but a Long Road Ahead
Despite Mercedes’ strong start to the season, Russell admitted that the team still needs further improvements to compete for the top positions.
“It was really important for us to start the season strong. We knew McLaren was faster, but we still achieved a positive result,” he said.
He continued: “It was clear that McLaren and Red Bull had the edge over us, but we were faster than Ferrari, so I spent most of the race comfortably ahead of them.”
However, he acknowledged that the gap to the front-runners was too significant for him to challenge them directly.
“I pushed as hard as I could to catch them, but they were just too far ahead. Albert Park is unforgiving, even with the smallest mistakes, so maintaining consistency was key,” he explained.
A Crucial Pit Stop Decision
Russell also highlighted the importance of making the right strategic decisions during the race, particularly when it came to pit stops in changing weather conditions.
“This decision was prepared in advance; we had discussed different race scenarios with the team in the morning and determined how we would react to various conditions,” he revealed.
“I knew the rain was going to get heavier, so I made the call to pit just five seconds before informing the team, but they were fully prepared,” he added.
He concluded: “That decision was crucial for my race. We made mistakes in Canada and Brazil last year, but this time, we got it right.”
