24 August 2023 , 16:55
684
0
George Russell refused to rule out winning again this year as his surprise Brazilian Grand Prix victory last season sparked a change of mindset at Mercedes.
The 2022 season, rather like this campaign so far, was difficult for the Silver Arrows. It yielded little joy for a team so used to winning on a regular basis, apart from that glorious weekend at Interlagos when Russell won ahead of Lewis Hamilton in second.
It came as a surprise for the team who felt their best chance of winning in the second half of that campaign had come and gone at an earlier event. And that example has taught Russell to never rule out his chances of victory, even at a time like now when Max Verstappen is so strong.
"We know we've got a lot to improve and we've made a lot of really good progress, so hopefully we can be there to pick up any pieces that fall our way," he told reporters at Zandvoort.
"We just never know. Last year we had the mentality that Singapore would be our only opportunity in the second half of the season to win a race, and when we didn't win there was some disappointment. There was no expectation going into Brazil and we came away with the victory there. So we'll treat every race as an opportunity.
Sebastian Vettel warns of looming F1 ban and is "very worried about the future"
"It's really close between us, Aston Martin, Ferrari and McLaren at the moment. I think we're probably the ones who are consistently there as the second or third fastest team. The team has done a really good job to maximise points and deliver week in, week out. I'm not going to sit here and say, 'We are the second fastest team'. But we are in a really strong position to secure that P2."
Such an outcome in the constructors' championship, he insists, would be an accomplishment despite Mercedes' history of winning. He said: "As a team we've gone from strength to strength this season.
"Of course, there was a lot of expectation placed upon us this season and that's why people are calling our season a failure. We're far from where we want to be because we want to be fighting for the championship. But to call P2 in the championship, 50 points ahead of P3 at the moment, a failure is far from the reality."
And Hamilton agreed, adding: "I think it's a huge achievement and something that has been overlooked, to be honest. Obviously, because we want to win, it hasn't been the most positive narrative. But I'm really proud of the team for the progress and the steps we have taken.
"For us to be second in the championship, considering how others have started this year – McLaren have had a big turnaround, Aston came out of the blocks really quick – is pretty amazing. It's down to all the amazing people we have at the factory and the crew we have here. Our goal is to try to make sure the team keeps that second place in the constructors' championship and to try to hunt down second place in the drivers'. It will be fun."