Lando Norris won his first F1 race on Sunday with McLaren, the team’s first win since the 2021 Italian Grand Prix.
McLaren’s progress has been praised, as they now compete at the front with Red Bull and Ferrari, leaving Mercedes behind. George Russell from Mercedes finds inspiration in McLaren’s turnaround and believes his team needs to improve quickly.
Russell said, “McLaren qualified P17 and P18 12 months ago in Miami, and [on Sunday] they won. So it shows what’s possible when they get things right. But right now we don’t have things right.”
Mercedes had a tough weekend in Miami. Lewis Hamilton faced a penalty on Saturday’s sprint, and on Sunday, he finished sixth, while Russell finished eighth.
Russell admitted they are struggling to find their pace. “I think we have to accept that we are the fourth-fastest team at the moment. The lap times don’t lie. And the championship [standing] doesn’t lie. This is where we are.”
Mercedes is now 80 points behind McLaren in the constructors’ championship. However, Toto Wolff, Mercedes team boss, sees McLaren’s victory as a positive example. He said, “They have made such a massive step since last summer and they won fair and square and this is with a Mercedes engine and that is so important for all of us to see that you can make these steps if you’re bringing the right upgrades and do the right work, so I see only positives.”
Mercedes introduced upgrades in Miami, but Wolff admitted it’s been a tough journey. “It’s been a painful learning curve and it’s still not satisfactory, but the situation is more encouraging now.”
Despite the challenges, Mercedes is determined to improve and learn from McLaren’s success.
