SHANGHAI — George Russell, a Mercedes Formula 1 driver, has shared his view that McLaren may have the potential to clinch victory in every race this season, indicating that their pace advantage surpasses anything Red Bull has ever achieved. Over the weekend in Australia, McLaren’s driver, Lando Norris, earned pole position with a notable lead of 0.385 seconds over the other competitors. In comparison, the best performance by Red Bull in Australia was a 0.236-second gap during their record-breaking 2023 season.
Even with McLaren’s clear speed advantage, Russell is uncertain whether McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri can consistently outrun Max Verstappen, known for his consistent race-winning performances. “Their car should be winning every race, but I doubt they’ll manage to do so throughout the year,” Russell remarked ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix. “The advantage they hold this year exceeds anything Red Bull has previously shown.”
Russell secured a podium finish in Melbourne but was trailing the frontrunners, Norris, who claimed victory, and Verstappen, who finished second, by more than eight seconds. Acknowledging the challenge, he expressed skepticism about closing the performance gap to the McLaren MCL39. “Finding that level of lap time and downforce mid-season is unheard of,” Russell said. “McLaren is excelling in areas where others aren’t, particularly when the tyres heat up. We saw substantial gaps during the Bahrain test and in sector three of the qualifying session, where they led by four-tenths of a second over their rivals.”
Nonetheless, not everyone shares Russell’s outlook. Oscar Piastri of McLaren seemed to disagree, noting Russell’s comments with amusement. “If he’s willing to dismiss the entire season after just one race weekend, that’s up to him,” said the Australian driver. Piastri also suggested that the team’s performance might have been exaggerated by the unique characteristics of Melbourne’s Albert Park circuit. He explained, “George has been saying some amusing things recently. It’s only the first race. Historically, we’ve been competitive here, even when our car wasn’t as dominant. We will face tougher challenges at other circuits, no doubt.”
The inaugural sprint weekend will kick off at the Shanghai International Circuit on Friday, starting with a single practice session at 11:30 a.m. local time. Sprint qualifying will follow at 3:30 p.m. local time, marking an exciting day for race enthusiasts.