George Russell: We're faster than Ferraris

      Mercedes driver George Russell summed up the race in Melbourne, where he finished third.…

      Question: George, how do you assess the results of the weekend?George Russell: It's not the best weekend for us, but I'm happy to finish third. And Kimi made a great impression in his first race! Let's see what happens in a week in China.

      Question: The conditions were difficult, how did you manage to stay focused and avoid mistakes?George Russell: I liked the conditions. I was hoping that one of those guys in front would make a mistake, but it didn't happen. It's always difficult to compete in such conditions, but this is Formula 1, it's never easy here. That's interesting. I hope the fans enjoyed watching on TV.

      Question: It's the best start to the season since you joined the team, and your young teammate hasn't let you down. Do you feel more confident now?George Russell: Yes, absolutely. All things considered, the weekend went really well. We knew that McLaren was ahead, but as it is, the result is good.

      Question: What is the key factor for a successful performance at Albert Park?George Russell: To be honest, I was just trying to avoid trouble. It was immediately clear that McLaren and Red Bull were too fast for us, and we were faster than Ferrari, so I found myself in a calm zone between them. I quickly realized that the best thing in this situation is to save the car and finish the race, earning the maximum possible points.

      If I had decided to take the risk, I still would not have achieved more – the rivals were too far ahead. As Lando said after the finish, today the track punished for the slightest mistake. But I'm glad to be on the podium, this is the maximum for our car for today. I was happy with fourth place in qualifying, but I was able to achieve more in the race.

      Q: How difficult was it to choose the optimal moment for a pit stop? Let us know the details of this process.…George Russell: The process started this morning. The team and I discussed our actions in the race, talked about how to act when making decisions – what information they need from me, what information I need from them.

      I knew it was going to rain harder, and I made that decision myself. I warned the team in five seconds that I was going to the pits, and they were ready. This moment played a key role in my race. I am very glad that we did not repeat last year's mistakes in Montreal and Brazil, and this time we did everything right.