George Russell says Merce🌺des spent Friday practice at the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix trying “radical” set-up ideas with a view to 2025.

The Briton - who has been at the centre of a feud 𒉰with Max 𝓀Verstappen following last week's Qatar GP - was fourth-fastest in FP1 at Yas Marina on Friday morning, but dropped to 13th in the 🌊evening session in his Mercedes.

Russell was heard on his team radio complaining about a lack of grip in FP2, with the Mercedes dr💃iver around a second down on Lando Norris’ session-topping lap.

However, h🦄e later explained that Mercedes used Friday as something of a test day to try “rꦗadical” ideas with a view to 2025 and expects Saturday to be “a bit more normal”.

“Today we struggled a bit but this is only Friday,” ꩲhe told Sky Sports F1.

“We’re trying a lot of 𓆏things in preparation for next yওear.

“Obviously this is our last opportunity and we wanted to go, let’s say, a little b🔯it more radical with some of the set-up options, ℱjust to see if there’s anything more we can learn.

“So, hoping tomorrow will🗹 be a bit more of a normal day and go from there.”

Russell𓄧 praised team-mate Lewis Hamilton’s form on Friday in Abu Dhabi, with the seven-time world champion telling the media that he feels Mercedes is “in the mix”💦.

From Russell’s perspective, however, he sees Mercedes as “a lꦕong way off” Ferrari and McLaren currently.  

“To be honest, I think Lewis did some great laps out there and I think still, as a team, we’re a long way off McLaren and Ferrari,” he ♍added.

“McLaren especially 🧔seem to be in a league of their own at the moment.

“But as I൩ said, Lewis did a great job but we’re still four tenths behind the McLarens, so that’s bigger than we usually expect.

“So, I expect Ferrari to probably get back in the mix, Max [Verstappen] to probably ♉get back in the mix but I hope we ca🐭n make some improvements for tomorrow.”