George Russell believes Mercedes will be just off the pace of the top two teams at this weekend’s French Grand Prix.
Plenty of pundits and Red Bull boss Christian Horner have talked up the Brackley-based team’s chances at Paul Ricard, with Damon Hill even predicting a one-two finish.
However, while the circuit and conditions are expected to suit Mercedes, Russell doubts the W13 has the absolute pace to be in contention for victory.
“There’s a lot of expectation on Mercedes this weekend – not too sure where that’s come from,” he said via Formula1.com on Thursday.
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“We’re definitely improving the car and we’re closing that gap [to the front].
“It’s going to be hot, which I think favours us slightly again. Yes, we’ll be going for it but realistically, if we do everything perfectly I think we’ll be a tenth behind, two-tenths behind Ferrari and Red Bull.”
But at the same time, Russell is sure Mercedes are now on the right track and can focus on building their performance.
“I think this is the first time this season we truly understand the car and we understand what needs to change to make the car go faster,” he explained.
“Whereas we spent so long trying to understand what the problems were, how to resolve that and not necessarily making the car go any faster.
“We knew after the first test it was going to be a tricky start to the season, but now I think we feel in a good place as a team… We can build off this and make some good strides.”
Upgrades have been coming thick and fast to the W13, with more new parts noticeable for this weekend.
LH44 in the house ??? pic.twitter.com/CDZ5H026EB
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) July 21, 2022
And teammate Lewis Hamilton, who celebrates his 300th Grand Prix at Paul Ricard, believes the top step can be a realistic goal very soon.
“When we approached the season, all of us had hoped that we’d be fighting at the front with the other guys and we were faced with the reality that that’s not the case,” he told Sky Sports.
“That was tough, a tough experience for many, many people. You know, in our team, I’ve been here 10 years, but there are people who have joined within that 10 years who have only known success, so they’re also experiencing something new.
“I’m really, I’m just genuinely really proud of the work that we’ve done. How focused everyone has stayed, how committed everyone stayed.
“Everyone’s in the office, nonstop. No one’s taking breaks, and just no one’s giving up. So I truly, truly believe in the not-too-distant future we’ll be fighting back at the front.
“So I don’t have a fear in that sense, I’m just excited about the work that we’re doing and I’m committed more than ever.”
