After three seasons training as a Formula 1 driver at Williams, George Russell has taken the definitive leap this year by signing for the Mercedes team, his great goal since he landed in the highest category of motorsport in 2019.
Once again this preseason, Mercedes has once again opted for the formula of dividing the days between its two drivers, dividing four hours for each of them on each of the three days of preseason testing.
As a result, Russell was able to test the new Mercedes W13 both on Wednesday and Thursday in different conditions, one session in the morning and one in the afternoon, comparing sensations and drawing his first conclusions: “We’re not really ahead, that’s pretty sure. “.
Specifically, the British driver pointed to Ferrari and McLaren as teams that for the moment would be better than Mercedes: “We all know that we are in different programs, but we also know the differences between us, and we are behind them at the moment. Some teams look very fast, one red [ Ferrari ] and one orange [ McLaren ] in particular look very, very competitive.”
“We will wait and see. The championship is obviously not won in the winter tests, but the truth is that it has been an interesting two days so far,” he added.
Referring to the problems the new 2022 F1 cars are experiencing with porpoising , George Russell was concerned that it could pose a safety hazard for drivers.
“For one reason or another, it’s not very nice at all. From what I’ve seen on other teams, it’s a security concern, so it has to be resolved one way or another. But there’s a lot smart people here and I’m sure they’ll all get down to business quickly to fix it sooner rather than later.”
Russell feels at home at Mercedes on this 2022 F1 start
“I feel good in general. I have always said that at Mercedes I feel at home, it is a family for me, and it has always been like that. Someone told me how I felt when I entered the paddock this morning with Mercedes, but I said that it all felt quite normal because these guys have been a part of my career for the last six or seven years.”
Tomorrow, George Russell will return to the Montmeló asphalt for four more hours of testing, leaving the other four for his teammate, Lewis Hamilton, on the last day of pre-season testing in Barcelona.
