Following the conclusion of pre-season testing last week, Mercedes driver George Russell has revealed who he believes is the ‘strongest team’.
Russell finished sixth in the Drivers Championship in 2024, and will go into the new season with a brand new team-mate, after Lewis Hamilton left Mercedes at the end of last year.
18-year-old Kimi Antonelli has replaced the seven-time world champion, meaning that Russell is now the lead driver for the Silver Arrows.
The pair enjoyed a positive pre-season test in Bahrain, with Russell describing the new W16 as ‘nicer to drive’ than last year’s car.
With just over a week to go until lights out in Melbourne, the Brit has said that he thinks McLaren are head and shoulders above the rest of the grid.
Russell thinks McLaren are ‘the strongest’
McLaren finished the 2024 season on a high, claiming their first Constructor’s title in 26 years, and it seems that they have increased their gap at the front of the field for 2025.
In an interview with BBC Sport, Russell said: “McLaren, without doubt, look by far the strongest.
“Especially their race pace looks pretty impressive.”
When asked about Max Verstappen, Russell added: “I don’t think either of us have a car that potentially is capable of beating the McLaren.”
By the end of the three days of running in Bahrain, it was fairly unanimous up and down the paddock that McLaren had the fastest car, and had made a big step forward over the winter.
In the hands of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, the papaya team were sometimes half a second quicker than the likes of Ferrari and Mercedes during race runs, with the advantage coming down slightly over just one lap.
McLaren must make their advantage count
If the predictions are correct, and the Woking based team have the fastest car at the opening race in Australia, then they have a huge chance to win both the Drivers and Constructors Championships.
Norris has already said that McLaren have no excuses not to win both titles this season, and it certainly feels like they have everything in their own hands.
Last season there were multiple examples of McLaren being a team without frontrunning experience, and there were instances where they perhaps lacked the killer instinct of a Red Bull or a Mercedes.
At the Hungarian GP, the team refused to prioritise Norris, despite his superior position in the championship, and instead ordered him to let Piastri through and win the race.
In 2025, they cannot afford to be the nice guys anymore, and must instil a win at all cost attitude to guarantee they maximise the situation they find themselves in.
Feature Image Credit: Mercedes AMG Petronas F1
