Russell leading the way as Mercedes keep calm and carry on
SUZUKA, Japan, April 4 (Reuters) - Mercedes continued with their quiet progress in the new Formula One season at the Japanese Grand Prix on Friday with George Russell among the frontrunners on the opening day at the Suzuka circuit.
Russell is third in the drivers' standings after finishing third in Australia and China, while Italian rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli has backed up his teammate with a fourth and a sixth place.
Even if they are clearly not yet matching the pace of the McLarens, the start has been encouraging after a few seasons of maddening inconsistency.
"It's been a lot calmer than the last few years, mainly because the car is what we intended it to be," Andrew Shovlin, the team's Trackside Racing Engineer, told reporters on Friday.
"It hasn't really got the vices that we've had in a couple of previous years and that's down to doing good work over the winter.
"There's clearly a gap to McLaren that we need to chip away at, but that looks more like just a normal development race that we need to get stuck into rather than trying to get on top of any of the handling vices that we've had."
Russell won his second and third races last year as the junior partner to Lewis Hamilton but has stepped up as the senior driver this year after the departure of the seven-times world champion to Ferrari.
"He's very calm," Shovlin said. "He seems very confident. He's done a great job in the first two races, so that's been really encouraging. He just seems to be very relaxed in his position in the team now and he's just going about getting the points."
Mercedes opted against bringing in a more experienced driver to replace Hamilton and Shovlin said Russell, now in his seventh season in Formula One, was helping bring on the raw but exciting talent of teenager Antonelli.
"I would say that George has stepped up into that role — being the team's most experienced driver now," he added.
"We always knew he was quick, but in his own approach, he has brought a confidence and a calmness this year that's working very well for us.
"It's really pleasing to see how the two of them are working together, and how George has stepped up into that role."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
North Wales Chronicle
2 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor students visit Llangefni manufacturer
The Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor students went behind the scenes at the Llangefni factory of FAUN Trackway Limited, for their final industry visit of the academic year. The students also presented F1 in Schools race cars to the company, in thanks for its sponsorship of Team Loop Racing and Cymru Speedsters in the STEM competition, F1 in Schools, which tasks students with designing, manufacturing, marketing for sponsorship, and racing their own miniature cars. FAUN Trackway specialises in designing and manufacturing multi-terrain access systems for military clients and clients in other industries. Students Keegen Vidamour, Tom Williams, Jordan Piper, Ben Griffith, and Jac Fisher, who are studying BTEC Level 3 Enhanced Engineering, toured the Llangefni facility after having researched FAUN Trackway as part of their studies. The students were welcomed by engineering and operations manager Gareth Williams, production manager Gwyn Parry, marketing coordinator Ellie Roberts, and mechanical engineer Rhodri Farrer. The visitors learnt about FAUN Trackway's portable track systems, which are designed to facilitate "rapid deployment" from such specialist vehicles as military trucks and telehandlers. The process of fabricating, assembling, coating, and packaging products was showcased by Ms Parry, and Mr Williams spoke about the project works carried out at the Llangefni site. The students were then able to see the final product fitted to a Mercedes-Benz Arocs (a heavy-duty truck). Afterwards, the students presented the FAUN Trackway team with their F1 in Schools race cars: from Jac, a car on behalf of Team Loop Racing, who won the professional class in the North Wales heat and went on to represent Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor in the UK final; and from Jordan, a car made by Cymru Speedsters. And Keegan gave keyrings, which he had made as merchandise for his F1 in Schools team's pit display, to FAUN Trackway staff. The two F1 in Schools race cars are said to now have "pride of place" in the FAUN Trackway board room. Mr Williams said: "We were pleased to welcome the students and showcase our facility and products. READ MORE: High street in Anglesey town re-opens following incident "It was a great opportunity to highlight the practical applications of engineering in a real-world manufacturing environment. "I hope the tour offered the students valuable insights into our processes, technologies, and the innovative solutions we provide. "Engaging with the next generation of engineers is always rewarding, and we look forward to supporting their continued learning and development." More information about the BTEC Level 3 Enhanced Engineering course at Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor is available at For more information about Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor's F1 in Schools team, email evanse12e@
Glasgow Times
6 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Toto Wolff brandishes Red Bull protest ‘petty' and 'embarrassing'
Red Bull challenged Russell's victory in Montreal for both driving erratically and committing unsportsmanlike conduct behind the safety car, a claim which was rejected by the stewards. It was the second time they had launched a protest against the Mercedes driver this season following a claim he had failed to slow sufficiently under yellow flags in Miami. 🗣️ "It's so petty and so small" Toto Wolff has branded Red Bull's protest of George Russell's win in Canada as 'petty and embarrassing' 🎙️ — Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) June 17, 2025 Speaking to Sky Sports at the launch of the new F1 movie in New York, Mercedes principal Wolff said: 'First of all, it took team Red Bull Racing two hours before they launched the protest, so that was in their doing. You know, honestly, it's so petty and so small. 'They come up with some weird clauses, what they call clauses. I guess the FIA needs to look at that because it's so far-fetched it was rejected. 'You know, you race, you win and you lose on track. That was a fair victory for us, like so many they had in the past. And it's just embarrassing.' Russell's win in Montreal was a first of the season for Mercedes and the protest represented the latest in a series of controversies involving he and four-time world champion Verstappen. 🗣️ "It's a teams right to do so" Christian Horner says he has 'no regrets' over challenging George Russell's Canadian GP win 🇨🇦 — Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) June 17, 2025 However speaking at the same event, Red Bull boss Christian Horner insisted he had no regrets about the decision to go to the stewards. Horner said: 'No, absolutely not. I mean, it's a team's right to do so. You know, we saw something we didn't think was quite right. 'You have the ability to put it in front of the stewards and so that's what we chose to do. Absolutely no regrets in that.'
Glasgow Times
6 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Dettori to ride at Ascot again in the future? ‘Never say never'
The 54-year-old left the UK riding ranks in 2023 when he initially announced his retirement only to reverse that decision and begin a new life in America. Speaking to ITV Racing, the Italian said: 'I'm good, I flew here on Sunday after riding in Kentucky, it's my daughter's birthday, you know I love Royal Ascot. 'I still have the little devil in my ear saying 'one more time'. When I was driving here I was thinking how I missed it so much. 'Never say never, at the moment I didn't think it was appropriate to do it but who knows in the future. It's nice to be here and it's amazing racing through the week. 'I've got a different vibe today as I'm usually stressed out thinking about the racing but I'm seeing it from the other side of the fence. 'I'm all good at the moment, but there's a little tear in my eye that I'm not riding. Never say never! 'America is a new challenge to me, it's all new and at this stage of my career I'm having to prove myself again, it's a new experience'
