George Russell’s honest Mercedes and McLaren admission with recovery plan underway

George Russell concedes Mercedes won’t be in a position to take the fight to McLaren this season, but he is hoping for a turnaround next year.

McLaren’s MCL39 has emerged as the car to beat this season, leading to suspicions from rivals – notably Red Bull – about everything from the car’s tyres to the wings to the brake ducts.

George Russell: It’s not going to be this year

The car has passed all of the FIA’s tests as the McLaren team-mates race towards a championship double.

Oscar Piastri is leading the Drivers’ Championship by eight points ahead of Lando Norris, who is 61 up on third-placed Max Verstappen, while George Russell is a further 18 points off the pace.

The Mercedes driver is one of only four drivers to win a Grand Prix this season, having taken the chequered flag in Canada ahead of Verstappen.

That was McLaren’s worst race weekend of the F1 2025 season as the team-mates didn’t have the pace to fight for the victory before Norris’ late crash put him out of the race.

That, though, may be Russell’s only victory of the season as McLaren bounced back from the Montreal race with back-to-back 1-2 results at the Red Bull Ring and Silverstone.

F1 2025: The season’s winners and losers

👉 The results of the F1 2025 championship

👉 The updated Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championship standings

Norris and Piastri took the chequered flag at the British GP 30 seconds up on third-placed Nico Hulkenberg while Russell managed just a solitary point in the rain-affected Grand Prix.

The Briton twice gambled on strategy as he pitted on the formation lap for dry tyres and was one of the first to swap back onto the slick tyres on lap 38 as the track began to dry out.

Russell called on Mercedes to make the “brave” call, only for his race engineer Marcus Dudley to reply: “Brave, but not suicidal”.

The team made the swap anyway and Russell went spinning at Becketts as he struggled for grip.

Russell, although, disappointed with the outcome, believes it’s a gamble drivers have to take if their car is not quick enough.

“It’s one of those,” he told Sky F1. “If you’ve got the car pace, you can afford to play it safe and doesn’t matter what you do, you’re going to come out on top.

“If you don’t, it’s so tight between everybody else. Now, if you want a good result, you do need to be a little bit brave. And it’s as brave staying out on the track and not pitting as it is to pit.”

Being brave and taking his chances with strategy may be Russell’s game plan for the remainder of the season, as he says his W16 just isn’t quick enough to fight the McLarens.

“Hopefully soon,” he said, “but it’s unfortunately this year, we know we’re not in the fight with McLaren. They’re the dominant team.

“You know, we’re doing everything we can to get the team back on top, but it’s not going to be this year.”

Next season Formula 1 resets as both the technical and engine regulations are being overhauled with smaller, lighter cars that will be powered by a 50/50 split between internal combustion engine and electrical power.

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