George Russell takes a jab at Lando Norris: “If he won, he wouldn’t complain” – F1 Australian GP. George Russell responds to Lando Norris’ criticism of the new F1 cars.

Tensions flared between George Russell and Lando Norris at the Australian Grand Prix. The verbal sparring appears to stem from the McLaren driver’s criticism of the new F1 cars, which he described as terrible to drive. Norris expressed nostalgia for the cars of the past.

During the post-race press conference, the GP winner was asked about the issue. According to George Russell, his fellow Briton’s frustration is driven more by the lack of a competitive car than by the new regulations themselves.

“If he won, I don’t think he’d be saying the same thing,” Russell said bluntly. “We weren’t happy with how stiff the cars were last year, and with the porpoising, all the drivers were complaining about back pain. Yet McLaren drivers said there was no porpoising, even though looking at their car, we could see that there actually was. So this happens: everyone looks out for themselves. We’re all selfish in that sense.”

Mercedes holds the advantage

The reality, however, tells a different story: this year, Mercedes has something extra that the customer teams don’t have. The Melbourne track results speak for themselves. George Russell emphasized, “Last year we had the same engine, and McLaren did a better job and beat us.”

This year, it’s the opposite. “Now McLaren has the same power unit as us, along with Williams and Alpine, and so far we’ve done a better job than them.” According to George Russell, victory goes to whoever interprets the regulations better, making complaints secondary. “So that’s just how it goes,” he concluded.