© Jiri Krenek for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
George Russell says “there’s a lot of chat” about Mercedes as 2026 title favourites, but he’s aim is to “take it race by race and see how we go”.
Even before 2026 pre-season testing started, there has been a lot of talk of Mercedes as title favourites, with George Russell mostly pegged as Drivers’ Championship favourite.
When asked what he makes of the fact that his rivals have him down as the title favourite, George said this is not something he thinks about.
“Not a lot, really,” the Briton said.
“It doesn’t change anything. I think there’s a lot of chat around us, Mercedes, and take it as a compliment, I guess.
“However, once the helmet’s on and the visor’s down, you’re just flat out and you don’t really think about any of this additional noise. Just take it race by race and see how we go.”
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George thinks early predictions of pace are not something that should be taken for granted.
“I think every rule change there is a new opportunity for the team who hasn’t been winning. We feel we’ve got a very good chance.
“However, the last rule change, Ferrari were the team who came out of the blocks winning, and after three or four races they looked like the ones who were going to win the championship, and by the end of ’22 they weren’t even close to the fight.
“So, the mentality for us, regardless if we have a successful weekend or a difficult weekend, is that Melbourne won’t define the season, and if we want to win we need to keep on pushing.
“And yeah, we’re ready to do that,” he concluded.
