“We are making progress” - George Russell opens up on bittersweet nature of Mercedes’ gains towards Red Bull

George Russell feels Mercedes still needs to work harder than its rivals, Ferrari and McLaren, to move up the grid. While he believes all three teams have somewhat closed the gap to leaders Red Bull, he stated that his team needs to one-up their rivals in terms of development.

Since 2022, when the FIA implemented new aerodynamic regulations, the Silver Arrows have struggled with the basic car concept. While Red Bull easily cruised to the top, winning races and championships, the Brackley-based have been unsuccessful in their attempts to return to the top.

Mercedes' flawed car concept was eventually scrapped in May 2023 as it ditched the zero-sidepod concept and made major changes to its car. The team continued with its new car design in 2024 but seem to have fallen slightly behind Ferrari and McLaren.

Speaking to F1.com after the 2024 F1 Imola GP, George Russell touched on where his team stands in the pecking order. He claimed that Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren have made equal progress in 2024 and closed their respective gaps to Red Bull.

However, he added that because of Ferrari and McLaren's equal progress, his team needs to work harder and stay a few steps ahead of them.

"To be honest, I think ourselves, Ferrari, and McLaren have closed the gap on Red Bull and pulled away from the midfield. So we are making progress, it’s just that our two direct rivals have made equal progress. We just need to keep on chipping away, the team are working really hard to bring performance and that’s all we can do for the time being," George Russell said.

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Ferrari team boss's savage comment on Mercedes' performance gains

After the Imola GP, Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur sarcastically took a jab at Mercedes for their pace in the race.

As per formu1a.uno, Vasseur was asked to comment on the Silver Arrows' pace and how the team improved its performance. He pointed out that since the Mercedes drivers finished 28 seconds behind Charles Leclerc in Imola, it shows that they have closed the gap to the Italian team.

"They were 28 seconds behind Charles at the end of the race. So yes, I think they got a little closer."

The Silver Arrows have not yet bagged any podiums in the 2024 F1 season, while Ferrari has six podiums and one race win (the Australian GP). In the constructors' championship, Ferrari is second with 212 points, while the Brackley-based team is down in fourth with only 79 points.

At the Imola GP, Charles Leclerc finished third, while Carlos Sainz secured fifth place. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were down in sixth and seventh, respectively. Leclerc is currently second in the drivers' standings, while Sainz, Russell and Hamilton are fifth, seventh and eighth respectively.