© Richard Pardon for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
George Russell attended the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix Thursday Drivers’ Press Conference. Here is the full transcript!
Q: Alright, good luck to you as well. Thank you. George, let’s come on to you now. A really impressive start for you and Mercedes so far this year – podiums, you had the front-row start last time out as well. What is possible with this year’s car, do you think? How much is possible?
George RUSSELL: Yeah, I mean obviously the first two races have been great – two podiums – and we couldn’t really have hoped for much more. I think we also have to be realistic. We are only two races into a long season and I don’t think probably Ferrari and maybe Red Bull have maximised their potential as yet. So we don’t want to get carried away thinking this is possible week in, week out. But we definitely know that if we do the best job to our own abilities, we’ll be there in the mix.
Q: Has the pace of the car surprised you so far?
GR: Yeah, I think it has. We know in qualifying we’ve always been pretty strong. But I think it was quite refreshing in China to see that our race pace was also pretty decent and we were the second fastest team in China. There were a lot of positives to take away. We go to Japan, which was probably one of our worst races last year, so it’ll be quite an interesting test to see if we’ve improved the car compared to this time 12 months ago.
Q: Just final one from me, Toto was very positive about your performance in China. How much of a shot in the arm is it for you to know that the boss has got your back?
GR: Yeah, I mean, I know he’s always got my back to be honest. People like to say things publicly. I don’t read what is said in the press or on social media. So for me, I only found out about this this morning when somebody told me. Of course, it’s good to hear, but I know that he’s always supported me, had my back and believes in me. And that’s the most important – what is happening internally rather than what is shown to the world. I know that I’ve got everybody’s support. We’re in this all together. We’re all fighting for the same common goal and it’s an exciting moment for us.
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QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Craig Slater – Sky Sports F1) A question for George – clearly, obviously, there are some contract negotiations you need to embark on at some point. If the season turns out as you’d wish, with maybe a title challenge, would it be a good idea to try and get that done sooner rather than later so it doesn’t get in the way?
GR: From my side, there’s no stress whatsoever regarding a contract. Ultimately, contracts are in place in Formula 1 and things change very quickly. I believe in myself. You have to perform and it’s pretty much as simple as that. And when it comes down to contract discussions, I think with us in the past, with Toto, it’s taken no more than 24 hours to have the conversation, and then it goes to the lawyers and we get something in place. So, there is no rush from my side, there’s no concerns, there’s no pressure. I’m enjoying where I’m at in the sport right now and enjoying my performance and just enjoying going racing. That’s the main priority right now.
Q: (Mara Sangiorgio – Sky Sports, Italia) Question to George. When people talk about the title, your name is often not there. Do you feel like you are not taken into consideration as you should be?
GR: Ultimately, from my side, I’m just going in every single weekend trying to perform to the maximum. These last three years as well, alongside Lewis – his name was always there with championships because he’s the GOAT. But the last three years, neither of our names were there because we weren’t in the position to fight. Look, this season it’s been a great start to the year. I don’t think we could have achieved a better result than we expected, and I hope we can continue this sort of run of consistency. But we know realistically the McLarens are exceptionally strong, and I think it’s going to be challenging for anybody else to compete with them. But you know, we saw last year how dominant Red Bull were, and suddenly they weren’t at the end of the season. So yeah, things change quickly.
Q: (Fred Ferret – L’Equipe) Quick question to George. Coming back to Mara’s question — are you annoyed that nobody asks you questions and sees you as a true candidate for the World Championship? Is it something that bothers you, to be in the shadow?
GR: I mean, not really, to be honest. I’m going in every single weekend. I’m a Formula One driver living my dream. It’s not what the perception is — it’s what the reality is. The reality is if we’re going to fight for a championship this year, we need to improve. This year has been a great start to the season. But the same way the last three seasons have been, I feel that I’ve personally performed very well. I’ve had one of the strongest teammates ever. I’m not looking for external recognition. I’m just looking to go racing every single weekend, perform, and doing my job.
Q: (Jon Noble – The Race) To George. You said before China that you felt McLaren had a car that could win all the races. I just wonder if the performance from China on Sunday has maybe changed perceptions because Oscar wasn’t miles up the road and had the benefit of clean air for the entire race, which was very important.
GR: Yeah, I think McLaren’s strengths are on the hot races and the old tarmacs where there’s a lot of degradation. So China, we saw the one-stop being quite straightforward. Who knows this weekend with the new tarmac — obviously we don’t want to jump to conclusions. But what we saw in Melbourne and in Bahrain testing was pretty exceptional. And in Melbourne, it was more normal, but if that’s their worst race, it’s a bit concerning for the rest of us. But as we said after six races last year, Red Bull dominated and then things changed quickly. So, let’s hope there’s something similar like that, and we’re the ones who can come forward.
Source: FIA.com
