After pre-season testing in Bahrain, Russell is optimistic about Mercedes' progress but remains cautious. \u201cI mean, the car is feeling good, to be honest,\u201d Russell said on media day. \u201cLast year, even though we finished in the lowest order that we have done in the last three years, we won the most number of races. I have confidence that this car is going to be slightly more consistent, not quite as peaky.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Russell admitted that while Mercedes may not hit the extreme highs of last season, such as their dominant victory in Las Vegas, he hopes to see fewer low points as well. \u201cWe might not see those mega highs like we saw in Vegas, sort of wiping the floor with everybody, but then hopefully we\u2019re not going to see those lows as well that we saw at a few races,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
However, despite Mercedes' improvements, Russell made it clear that McLaren look like the team to beat in the early stages of the season. \u201cWe can\u2019t kid ourselves, we know McLaren are without doubt the favourites right now \u2013 they look absolutely dominant. I\u2019m sure they\u2019re going to be the ones to beat,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
When asked about how quickly the pecking order will become clear in 2025, Russell pointed out how unpredictable last season was. \u201cYou look at the first six races of last year, and nobody would have predicted that Red Bull wouldn\u2019t comfortably win both championships,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cOf course, they won with Max (Verstappen), but it wasn\u2019t a walk in the park, or it shouldn\u2019t have been a walk in the park. Lando (Norris) and McLaren kept them on their toes, and obviously McLaren won the Teams\u2019 Championship.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
With a record 24-race calendar in 2025, Russell emphasized the importance of consistent development. \u201cAnything can change very quickly now. Especially when you have a 24-race season, you\u2019ve got to keep on working hard, you can\u2019t give up, and it\u2019s going to be very difficult for all the teams to strike that balance between this season and then also into next.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
As Mercedes enters a new era following Lewis Hamilton\u2019s move to Ferrari, Kimi Antonelli is preparing to make his Formula 1 debut with the team. The Italian teenager, who has been highly rated throughout his junior career, is excited but keeping his expectations in check. \u201cIt\u2019s amazing. Obviously, it\u2019s a dream come true. I\u2019ve been waiting for this moment my whole life. The winter felt pretty long, I\u2019m not going to lie!\u201d Antonelli said ahead of the race weekend in Melbourne.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
While he acknowledges the challenge of stepping up to F1, Antonelli is aiming for a solid start to his career. \u201cI\u2019m super happy to be here. I think it\u2019s a special place to do the first Grand Prix. I\u2019m really looking forward to seeing, once we hit the ground, how we can do.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
When asked about his goals for the weekend, the rookie remained realistic. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to say. I don\u2019t really know what to expect because it\u2019s my first Grand Prix, so I don\u2019t want to set anything too high. I just want to do a clean weekend, with a nice rhythm, in order to be able to build up from that point.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
While he acknowledges the challenge of stepping up to F1, Antonelli is aiming for a solid start to his career. \u201cI\u2019m super happy to be here. I think it\u2019s a special place to do the first Grand Prix. I\u2019m really looking forward to seeing, once we hit the ground, how we can do.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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