Just over two years ago, in early March 2023, George Russell made the following statement after Max Verstappen’s victory in Bahrain, the first race of the season: “Red Bull can win every race.”
These words caused a stir in the paddock because, despite the clear technical advantage shown by the RB19 at the Sakhir circuit, no one expected such a total domination.
In fact, the British Mercedes driver’s prediction turned out to be wrong, but—unfortunately for all Formula 1 fans who hoped to see a competitive World Championship—not by much: the only victory by a car other than Red Bull’s was Carlos Sainz’s win in Singapore.
Indeed, as you surely remember, the Milton Keynes team won 21 of the 22 races of the season, dominating both the drivers’ and constructors’ standings from start to finish.
Returning to the present, a similar scenario might unfold with McLaren as the protagonist, at least according to Russell.
Is McLaren the New Red Bull?
Driver number 63 made a statement very similar to the one he made two years ago, but now referring to another team. The words he used when talking about McLaren were: “They are so ahead that they could stop development now and focus entirely on 2026, because it’s difficult to close that gap.”
“If you have a six-tenths advantage at the start of the year, no one will catch up during the season. So, McLaren is in a privileged position now and for the future,” Russell added.
Compared to what happened with Red Bull in 2023, there is one difference that makes this situation even more worrying: the Mercedes driver expressed his opinion on the Woking team’s car after the first qualifying session of the season, even before seeing its performance in the race. And, judging by how the MCL39 performed on Sunday, we can say that George’s words were far from being disproved.
In short, after the Australian Grand Prix, there is a feeling in the paddock that McLaren could start a dominant cycle from this year, continuing with the new regulations in 2026.
The hope for all Formula 1 fans, except perhaps for those of the papaya-colored team, is that this time Russell is wrong…
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