George Russell has conceded that Mercedes will not be able to match McLaren’s pace this season, although progress is expected in F1’s upcoming races as the team releases new upgrades for its silver arrow.
McLaren has surged ahead in the 2025 title race, building a commanding 238-point lead in the constructors’ standings, while Mercedes remains locked in a much tighter fight with Ferrari over second place – trailing their Italian rivals by just 12 points ahead of this week’s Belgian Grand Prix.
Despite Russell's triumph in Canada – Mercedes’ only win so far this season – the Brackley squad has struggled to consistently challenge the reigning champions, who have since taken back-to-back victories in Austria and Britain.
Reflecting on a missed podium opportunity at Silverstone, where an early switch to slick tires on the formation lap backfired, Russell defended the team’s bold strategy.
No Regrets, But No Illusions
“It’s one of those,” Russell told Sky Sports 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.”
©Mercedes
Despite the setback, Russell expressed no regrets over the gamble, emphasizing that Mercedes clearly lacks the outright speed to compete with McLaren consistently.
When asked when Mercedes might return to title contention, the Briton offered a hopeful but reamistic reply.
“Hopefully soon, but unfortunately this year, we know we’re not in the fight with McLaren,” he said.
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.”
Upgrades Offer Hope for Progress
Mercedes is not standing still, however. The team is set to introduce performance upgrades for the W16 car at both the Belgian and Hungarian Grands Prix before the summer break.
These updates follow a challenging double-header in Austria and Silverstone, where Mercedes managed only a fifth-place finish and a 10th-place result, falling short of expectations.
Bradley Lord, Mercedes’ Chief Communications Officer, acknowledged the team’s recent struggles.
“It’s been a pretty bruising double header to be honest with Austria and then Silverstone as well,” he said, quoted by Motorsport Week.
“We’ve just got one fifth place finish to show for our efforts and one 10th place finish, so well below our expectations.”
Lord highlighted the upcoming races as critical opportunities to regain momentum.
Read also:
“First and foremost, it is to put ourselves on a much better footing and demonstrate the full performance potential of the car and after that we’ve got updates coming,” he explained.
“So we need to make some decisions on what the spec of the car will be for Spa and then also we’ve got some performance updates coming in both Spa and Hungary.
“So opportunities to make step forwards there.”
©Mercedes
The Belgian Grand Prix, a Sprint weekend with only one practice session before qualifying, will test Mercedes’ ability to adapt quickly.
“It’s going to be a challenge, but we’re hopeful of being able to give a much better showing than we did either in Silverstone or in Austria,” Lord added.
While Russell and Mercedes are focused on maximizing results in the remaining 12 races of 2025, the team is already eyeing the 2026 season, when new technical regulations could level the playing field.
For now, however, Mercedes remains determined to fight for progress, even as they acknowledge McLaren’s unassailable lead.
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via X and Facebook
