McLaren's dominance: larger gap than Red Bull, says George Russell

Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool

SHANGHAI, China — George Russell has highlighted McLaren's formidable performance in Formula 1, suggesting that the team has created a larger gap than Red Bull had during its past dominance.

Lando Norris narrowly beat Max Verstappen by 0.8 seconds at the Australian Grand Prix, with McLaren often having an advantage of over a second per lap against Red Bull.

Reflecting on the season opener, Russell remarked that McLaren's lead is significant enough to potentially win every round. "Their car should win every race, but I don't think they will win every race this year," he stated. "The gap they have this year is bigger than what Red Bull ever had."

Russell added that Red Bull's 2023 advantage was three to four tenths, but McLaren’s current edge appears more substantial. In response, Oscar Piastri expressed skepticism, citing it's too early to gauge the true gap from one race.

"I would be surprised if he seriously believes we're so far ahead," Piastri commented, emphasizing that Melbourne might have been an exceptional weekend rather than the standard.

Russell attributed McLaren’s edge to tire management rather than outright downforce. "They're clearly doing something better than the rest," he noted, pointing out that McLaren excelled in managing tire overheating, evident in Melbourne’s third sector.

While Russell acknowledged room for improvement, he emphasized the challenge due to tight regulations. "They’re clearly doing something trick. That gap is huge," he concluded.

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