‘So much potential’ - George Russell eyes Mercedes improvement after first podium for new team at Australian Grand Prix

George Russell has called on Mercedes to remain level-headed and target steady improvements after picking up a first podium since joining his new team. Russell, who enjoyed an impressive three years at Williams, was signed as a replacement for Valtteri Bottas ahead of the 2022 season after it was announced that the Finn would link up with Alfa Romeo. Ad/> Since joining the Silver Arrows, the 24-year-old has enjoyed a fourth-placed finish in the season-opener in Bahrain, before finishing fifth at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix two weeks ago.

Australian Grand PrixAs Leclerc and Ferrari star again, could a three-way fight emerge?2 HOURS AGO However, in Melbourne, he capitalised on the retirement of Max Verstappen’s Red Bull to finish on the podium for the first time under the guidance of Mercedes. A third-placed finish means he now also sits second in the World Drivers’ Championship on 37 points, albeit 34 points adrift of current runaway leader Charles Leclerc following the young Monegasque’s emphatic display at the Australian Grand Prix. Speaking after the race, Russell admitted that the team needed to stay calm as they look to work their way back towards the front of the grid on a consistent basis.

“We’ve got to go about the process analytically, we can’t do anything crazy,” he told Sky Sports. “We want results and performance today, but if we do anything too drastic we will go backwards, not forwards. “We’ve got to trust our team, trust the process and recognise that it’s going to take time.