George Russell believes that McLaren has become the team to beat in the current Formula 1 season, after the British team won the last two GPs with Lando Norris. The streak of results has increased the pressure on Mercedes, which has seen its advantage gained at the beginning of the year diminish.
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The Woking team secured victories in Hungary and the Netherlands, after introducing a major upgrade at the Hungaroring and bringing new components to Zandvoort. In both races, Norris finished in first place, reinforcing the team’s performance growth.
Russell expects Mercedes to be more competitive at the next event in Monza, but does not consider the scenario settled. The driver also highlighted the possibility of Ferrari gaining strength with an engine upgrade planned for the Italian circuit: “I think we will be a bit more competitive there. However, I believe Ferrari will have an engine upgrade coming, and the truth is we simply don’t know,” he said.
Even with the expectation of better performance from Mercedes, Russell does not believe McLaren can be ruled out. For him, the characteristics of the circuits play an important role in the current advantage of the British team, especially due to Norris’s performance in certain conditions.
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“I really believe these high tire degradation circuits suit McLaren very well, and especially Lando,” Russell added.
Monza may present different characteristics from recent tracks, but Russell still places McLaren at the top of the current hierarchy: “Monza may be a bit different, but I think they (McLaren) are the team to beat right now,” concluded the Mercedes driver.
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