George Russell says Mercedes need ‘big leaps’ forward to compete for title

George Russell feels there is no way he will end his first season at Mercedes as a world champion unless his struggling team drastically improve.

Russell and team-mate Lewis Hamilton finished fifth and 10th respectively in Sunday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on another disappointing weekend for the Silver Arrows.

Mercedes have won the past eight constructors’ championships, but have failed to get on top of the sport’s new regulations and are an eye-watering second off the pace of rivals’ Red Bull and Ferrari.

Russell, who joined Mercedes after three season at Williams, is already 23 points behind championship leader Charles Leclerc, with Hamilton 29 points adrift of the Ferrari driver.

“We are definitely not out of it, but if we don’t find some improvements there is no way we will be in with a shot of fighting for this championship,” said Russell, 24.

“We have come away from the first two races as the third best team and if we continue like this for the next five, six, seven races, we are still going to be within touching distance and there is no reason why we cannot overturn it.

“But at the moment we are making baby steps and we need to take some big leaps and we are struggling to find that silver bullet to resolve the issues we have. I have no doubt when we do that we will find a chunk of lap time but it is easier said than done.”

Following a controversial weekend in Saudi Arabia – overshadowed by a nearby missile strike just 12 miles east of the Jeddah track – the sport heads to Australia for the first time since the Melbourne race was cancelled at the start of the pandemic in March 2020.

However, Russell has forecast further pain for both he and Hamilton ahead of the third round of the season which takes place a week