George Russell recently revealed that Mercedes is the best team on the grid and there is a specific reason behind him making this statement. Russell, full of optimism after the recent performance at the Spanish GP, credits much of this success to the upgrades brought by the Silver Arrows.
Lewis Hamilton finished P2 in Spain, ahead of Russell in P3. Admittedly, the German team fared better than all the teams on the grid in Barcelona, even Red Bull to some extent. The team from Brackley would love to credit their success to the recent development package that bolstered their performance.
The Silver Arrows were on the news after revealing their revamped sidepod, which they decided to bring in after massively failing on their zero sidepod concept. With a new floor, suspension, and sidepod, the W14 looked very strong and formidable.
After the Monaco GP, they traveled to Barcelona and became the first team other than Red Bull to get a double podium finish this year. And now the reports are already saying Mercedes are set to bring massive further upgrades to Silverstone. All in all, James Allison has turned the tide around at Mercedes.
George Russell on Mercedes’ advantage over Red Bull
George Russell recently opened up on how Mercedes is better than Red Bull at the moment. He spoke about this comparison on BBC’s latest Chequered Flag Podcast.
When asked about their supposed superiority, Russell said, “I think Mercedes is the best team on the grid in terms of development, as we have seen time and time again.”
Double podium! Mega result!! Big thank you to the whole team for continuing to push and making real progress with this car. This one is for all of you. 👊 pic.twitter.com/JKFvrVpibC
— George Russell (@GeorgeRussell63) June 4, 2023
“We know where we fell short over the winter this year and we’re gonna do our best to close that gap to Red Bull and already looking towards next year,” concluded George Russell.
Red Bull respond to Mercedes’ efforts
Christian Horner, the Red Bull team principal, also revealed his team’s target in the coming races. They plan on working hard to hold on to the dominance that the RB19 and Max Verstappen have provided them with.
After the Spanish GP, Horner stated in the post-race interview with Sky Sports, “We have got some stuff in the pipeline.” Following this, he added, “We’ve got some big upgrades coming later into the season.”
As things stand, Red Bull and its mighty RB-19 is clearly the car to beat this season, and with further upgrades, they will be the favorites to defend their crown. However, for Mercedes, getting the better of Aston Martin and Ferrari will be their main target in the 2023 F1 season. Their championship goals and aspirations, however, have been saved for the upcoming season.
