P1racenews AI automatic summary:
George Russell believes Mercedes maximising opportunities in 2024 puts the team in fine stead to have a shot at the title in F1 should it have the car to do so.
Russell is getting ready to lead his first campaign as the main driver at Mercedes alongside newcomer Andrea Kimi Antonelli, following his partnership with Lewis Hamilton since 2022. Mercedes aims to enhance their performance after a season that saw them return to victory but finish fourth in the championship, their worst standing since 2012. Despite struggling with consistency, Russell is hopeful based on Mercedes’ achievement in key races. He believes that Mercedes’ ability to seize rare opportunities indicates readiness to compete against top rivals. Russell’s strong qualifying track record in 2024 boosts his confidence in Mercedes’ potential success if the new W15 car is an improvement. Max Verstappen secured the Drivers’ title early despite McLaren briefly challenging Red Bull, with Lando Norris missing the chance to close the gap. Russell agrees with Verstappen’s assertion that he would have won the championship in Norris’ position, attributing Max’s success to seizing critical opportunities and McLaren’s missed chances.
