P1racenews AI automatic summary:
George Russell is confident he is in the fight for Spanish Grand Prix victory.
George Russell has stated that Mercedes is more confident than it has been in three years, backed by their strong performance in the Spanish Grand Prix qualifying rounds. Despite initial doubts, the Canadian Grand Prix showing prior to the weekend had already left Mercedes pleased. The second-row qualifications of Russell and Lewis Hamilton, although with Hamilton edging out Russell for the first time since Miami, showcased a close race with only two-thousandths of a second difference. Russell believes the Silver Arrows are back in contention, eyeing a victory on Sunday. He remains optimistic about overtaking opportunities due to tire degradation at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, feeling strategy will be crucial in the race ahead. While the genuine progress of Mercedes was questioned, Russell feels this could be their strongest showing in the past three years, attributing it to collective experience with the regulations and the tight competition among the top teams.
