Russell: Mercedes can’t keep relying on others’ misfortune in F1

Following its eighth consecutive F1 constructors’ championship victory last year, Mercedes has struggled to compete at the very front of the pack so far this season under the revised technical regulations.

Russell and team-mate Lewis Hamilton’s efforts have been blighted by a continuing porpoising issue on the Mercedes W13 car, leaving them a step behind Ferrari and Red Bull for outright performance.

Despite the struggles, Russell has finished inside the top five at every single race, and picked up his third podium of the season in Azerbaijan last weekend.

The British driver capitalised on a double DNF for Ferrari that eliminated both pole-sitter Charles Leclerc and team-mate Carlos Sainz, allowing him to finish third behind the two Red Bull cars.

The result means that Russell sits just 17 points shy of title contender Leclerc in the championship, but he stressed the importance of finding more performance to properly compete with the lead cars.

“This is a championship where you've got the chance to score every single race, and it doesn't matter how fast your car is, if you're not scoring those points, then your tally is not going to increase,” Russell said after the race in Baku.

“So, great work from everybody back at the factories to deliver a reliable car, but we can't keep on relying on others' misfortune, and we need to find more performance.

“That's what everyone's trying their hardest to achieve.”

George Russell, Mercedes-AMG, 3rd position, arrives on the podium

Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images

Russell and Hamilton appeared to enjoy an uplift in form at the Spanish Grand Prix when a major update package from Mercedes eased the porpoising issue.

But on the streets of both Monaco and Baku, the team