- British driver believes team can challenge Red Bull in 2023
- Russell admits they are unlikely to match rivals in Bahrain
George Russell believes he can join the fight for this season’s Formula One world championship but has warned that his Mercedes team are unlikely to match Red Bull at the opening race of the campaign.
During the second day of pre-season testing in Bahrain the British driver acknowledged that last year’s champion Max Verstappen and his Red Bull team were in fearsome form but insisted that Mercedes would bring their car up to speed with a formidable development programme. When asked if he thought he could take the title, the 25-year-old was unequivocal.