“He just seems to be very relaxed in his position in the team now and he’s just going about getting the points, trying to qualify as well as he can. [A] front row in China was very encouraging. He’s pushing us hard to improve and he’s doing a lot of work himself.”
Mercedes has a tough season ahead as, like all the teams, they have to balance developing this year’s car with getting ready for sweeping rule changes in 2026. As such, experience is key with the driver’s input mattering even more than usual in ensuring no team goes the wrong way and wastes precious resources on development.
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But where Russell is also delivering is in aiding his rookie team mate – giving Mercedes plenty of tips and pointers on car set-up for Antonelli – and handling the bulk of decisive calls in the race when the conditions change, as they did in Australia.
“Those two are working together, and George is trying to give him the benefit of his experience,” Shovlin added. “I would say that George has stepped up into that role — being the team’s most experienced driver now.
.webp?ssl=1 "James Hinchcliffe picks his top five drivers of the 2026 Formula 1 season so far")
