Present at the press conference during the lunch break in Bahrain, George Russell commented on the first laps of the new Mercedes W16, discussing the improvements of the new car and shifting the pressure for the world title onto the competitors. The Brackley-based Englishman did not hit the track during the first morning of pre-season testing, but watched from the garage the debut of the Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who finished the session at the top.
It’s a particular start to the season taking place in Manama on the morning of Wednesday, February 26. The 2025 championship opens with a Mercedes at the top of the leaderboard: rookie Italian Kimi Antonelli immediately showed excellent confidence with the new car. Talking about times after just a few hours of testing is certainly premature, but there are already those who place Mercedes among the teams fighting for the title. Staying in the garage during the Bahrain morning, George Russell shared with the media in the Sakhir press room, including F1inGenerale.com, the first steps of the W16.
Russell and Mercedes 2025: “Positive feeling, but it’s exaggerated to talk about the world title”
“Last year we struggled a lot in hot races,” the Brit recalled. “We suffered from oversteer when asphalt temperatures increased. This is one of the main aspects we have tried to improve. Last season, we also had several accidents. The moment we went out of the right temperature window, we easily ended up in the wall.”
“We worked a lot to make the car more manageable,” explained George Russell, who went on track in the afternoon of Day 1. “From what we’ve seen so far, it seems like the car is indeed easier to drive.”
Although saying he was “pretty happy” with the initial feeling with the car, Russell was cautious about title predictions. “It’s always said that we want to fight for the world championship. But if we want to be realistic, knowing how last year ended, talking about the world title seems exaggerated.”
McLaren favored for the championship: George Russell’s prediction
Moreover, the #63 driver did not overlook the particular weather conditions during the Bahrain tests. Unusually cold, the temperatures affected and will affect the three-day test. “We’ll never race here in Sakhir with 15 degrees and wind like today.”
The King’s Lynn native shifted the pressure to those who just won the championship. “We all hope that the battle will be close. But I think McLaren will be quite strong: Lando says they’ve gained a lot over the winter. He seems quite confident.” The Woking team will look to defend the Constructors’ title they won in 2024, also aiming to challenge Verstappen’s lead in the Drivers’ Championship.
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