Pole winner Mercedes’ British driver George Russell (L) and teammate Italian driver Kimi Antonelli (2nd Place) have a good time after the qualifying session for the System One Australian Grand Prix. Picture: AFP
SHANGHAI:
George Russell mentioned Thursday the “championship means nothing at this level” because the Mercedes ace enters the second weekend of the System One season high of the pile following victory in Melbourne.
The Briton started the marketing campaign as favorite to win a maiden world championship and confirmed why as he led dwelling a Mercedes one-two with teammate Kimi Antonelli in Sunday’s season-opener.
The Australian Grand Prix heralded a brand new period for the game with quite a few rule modifications, together with a 50-50 break up between standard and electrical energy.
Rivals had pinpointed Mercedes because the crew to beat within the build-up to the season, however Russell was keen to not sound too triumphant going into the Chinese language Grand Prix this weekend.
“It feels no completely different to another day, to be sincere, right here in China,” the 28-year-old mentioned in Shanghai.
“Getting ready as ordinary, going about my enterprise as ordinary.
“I am most completely happy about the truth that the automobile is fast and reacting as we expect.
“There’s nonetheless room to enhance and that is what I am most happy about.
“A championship means nothing at this level.”
Ferrari had been the closest challengers to Mercedes in Melbourne, with Charles Leclerc third and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton fourth.
Russell believes the season can be “fairly an in depth struggle between ourselves and Ferrari”, a view he mentioned was shared by fellow Briton Hamilton.
The pair, former teammates at Mercedes, shared a flight to Shanghai collectively.
Russell warned it was not solely Ferrari who posed a risk, even when they’re shaping up because the prime challengers forward of Crimson Bull and McLaren.
“My view is quite a lot of groups did not optimise qualifying. I feel we did a very nice job of qualifying,” he mentioned, having began the Albert Park race from pole.
“However I feel Sunday confirmed the true tempo. And, you recognize, if you have a look at Ferrari… they had been mainly doing the identical lap occasions as us.”
