Russell: “I am sure that we will be strong in the second half of the season.”
After a first half of the season that was quite mixed for George Russell, 6th in the standings and tied with Charles Leclerc, it's time for an assessment. The British driver expresses confidence for the second half of the season.

During the last Grand Prix in Belgium, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finished 4th and 6th respectively in the race. Although they were aiming for higher positions, this doesn’t prevent us from having hope for the second part of the season. Mercedes has made great advancements in several Grand Prix races, notably by abandoning its “zero pontoon” concept, and since then the team has been continuously improving, establishing itself as the second force behind Red Bull, even though Ferrari is not far behind.
Drawing inspiration from the past?
George Russell admits that in order to return to the forefront, he is looking at how to draw inspiration from the past with Mercedes. Indeed, from 2014 to 2020, the German team won everything. They had high-performing cars, crushing the competition and allowing Lewis Hamilton to build his legend. However, since the 2022 regulations, Mercedes has lost its way. They are now trying to see how this victorious past could help the present.
« We look closely at how previous generations of cars were for Mercedes during their glory years, and we draw inspiration from it, as it was clearly one of the best cars in history », said Russell. « It has given us some guidance on what we need to aim for. »
A better second half of the season?
Despite great progress and securing the second place in the constructors’ championship for now, George Russell believes that the best is yet to come and that the second half of the season should see Mercedes even higher on the grid. « A season of two halves. So, I would say that the first six races were really strong. The last six races, not so much. Some ideas to explain why, many missed opportunities this season for various reasons. I’m confident that we will be strong in the second half of the season. And we have a few little things to do after the break. »
However, the British driver is realistic and mentions mistakes on his part or reliability issues that cost him valuable points. In Hungary, for example, he missed out on qualifying but managed to finish 6th. If he had started alongside Lewis Hamilton, he could have brought back a lot more points.
He assumes his responsibilities
« Some of my own mistakes, others like the failure in Australia have cost me a lot of points. But nevertheless, if you’re not fighting for P1 in the driver’s championship, you simply want to maximize the constructors’ [points], and so far, we are somehow [doing that], explained Russell, recalling the team’s objective, to fight in the constructors’ standings.
« But I am confident that we can somehow secure second place, and try to close this gap afterwards. »
At this stage of the season, it is also necessary to think about 2024. Teams such as Red Bull are already working on their car for next year. If Mercedes hopes to compete with the Austrian team next year, they need to start looking at 2024 now. George Russell gives a hint about the development for the next season. « I think we are working really hard on the features for next year » he concluded.