Russel🦹l scored his first podium as a Mercedes driver last time out with third place at the A🌞ustralian Grand Prix.

The British driver benefitted from Max Ve𒐪rstappen’s latest DNF and a timely Safety Car to j𝓰ump ahead of Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton.

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Russeꦇll’s consistent st𒀰art to the season has put him second in the championship after three rounds, 34 points off Charles Leclerc.

Similarly, Mercedes’ str♐ong reliability in the early rounds of the season means𓆏 it is ahead of Red Bull in the constructors’ championship. 

However, on pure perf✅orman𝓰ce alone, Mercedes lacks at least half a second to the front two teams.

Speaking after the race at Albert Park, Russell said that Merc💙edes is looking for “incremental steps” of performance.

“I think pleasantly surprised to be P2 in the championship but I t🥀hink it's, as I said before, It's credit due to the team for giving us so far, a very reliable car and we've got to be there at the end to capitalise from these res🌊ults,” Russell said. “It’s definitely not based on pace but I think it's been a respectable start to the season in terms of how we've managed to optimise our lack of performance. 

“And I think every race we've done, we have truly maximised the result possible. I don't th💟ink we could have achieved a higher result at any of the circuits as a team and that is, I guess, a silver lining. But unfortunately, there's nothing substantial in the pipeline anytime soon. It's not going to happen overnight, it's going to take a number of races. 

“I think there'll be little things, there'꧅ll be incremental steps but we recognise that our rivals are going to be doing the same so it may not be clear to the outside world that we've made progress because Ferrari and Red Bull are going to be making progress as well.” 

George Russell v Lewis Hamilton

Russell has fared very well against the seven-time F1 champion so far inﷺ the 2022 season, leading him 2-1 in th🦩e race head-to-head, putting him ahead in the drivers’ championship.

Hamilton’s torrid Sa🎐udi Arabia weekend combined with some misfortune in Australia has put things in Russell’s favour so far.

Despite his strong start to the year, Russell insist�꧂�ed that he’s more focused on helping Mercedes recover its speed, not his battle with Hamilton.

“These small thꦿings in the scheme of things don't mean a lot really,” Russell♉ added. “Obviously, everybody wants to finish ahead of their teammate, but Lewis and I have no interest in battling it out for P5, P6. And we want to work together, to claw that gap back. 

“So, there's no hard feelings if he's ahead of me, there's no hard feelings if I'm ahead of him, and we're not too concerned about that at the moment. So it's quite a strange feeling for me, to b🅷e honest, because we have such high expectations from all o♕f us. Whereas you know, previously, in my first couple of years that was everything.

“Because we weren't really fighting for points, we weren't fighꦅting for much, that was the only satisfaction you could get,🌺 is your results based on your teammate. But here we have a bigger picture. And the long game we need to play is to catch these guys up because we're here to win.”