Melbourne, March 13 : George Russell believes that Mercedes have taken a step forward with their new Formula 1 challenger for the 2025 season but admits that McLaren is 'without doubt the favourites' heading into the Australian Grand Prix. Mercedes endured a mixed 2024 campaign, showing flashes of brilliance with four race wins, including a 1-2 finish in Las Vegas, but also struggling with inconsistency, ultimately finishing fourth in the Constructors' Championship behind McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull.

After pre-season testing in Bahrain, Russell is optimistic about Mercedes' progress but remains cautious. 'I mean, the car is feeling good, to be honest,' Russell said on media day. 'Last year, even though we finished in the lowest order that we have done in the last three years, we won the most number of races. I have confidence that this car is going to be slightly more consistent, not quite as peaky.'

Russell admitted that while Mercedes may not hit the extreme highs of last season, such as their dominant victory in Las Vegas, he hopes to see fewer low points as well. 'We might not see those mega highs like we saw in Vegas, sort of wiping the floor with everybody, but then hopefully we're not going to see those lows as well that we saw at a few races,' he explained.

However, despite Mercedes' improvements, Russell made it clear that McLaren look like the team to beat in the early stages of the season. 'We can't kid ourselves, we know McLaren are without doubt the favourites right now ' they look absolutely dominant. I'm sure they're going to be the ones to beat,' he stated.

When asked about how quickly the pecking order will become clear in 2025, Russell pointed out how unpredictable last season was. 'You look at the first six races of last year, and nobody would have predicted that Red Bull wouldn't comfortably win both championships,' he said.

'Of course, they won with Max (Verstappen), but it wasn't a walk in the park, or it shouldn't have been a walk in the park. Lando (Norris) and McLaren kept them on their toes, and obviously McLaren won the Teams' Championship.'

With a record 24-race calendar in 2025, Russell emphasized the importance of consistent development. 'Anything can change very quickly now. Especially when you have a 24-race season, you've got to keep on working hard, you can't give up, and it's going to be very difficult for all the teams to strike that balance between this season and then also into next.'

As Mercedes enters a new era following Lewis Hamilton's move to Ferrari, Kimi Antonelli is preparing to make his Formula 1 debut with the team. The Italian teenager, who has been highly rated throughout his junior career, is excited but keeping his expectations in check. 'It's amazing. Obviously, it's a dream come true. I've been waiting for this moment my whole life. The winter felt pretty long, I'm not going to lie!' Antonelli said ahead of the race weekend in Melbourne.

While he acknowledges the challenge of stepping up to F1, Antonelli is aiming for a solid start to his career. 'I'm super happy to be here. I think it's a special place to do the first Grand Prix. I'm really looking forward to seeing, once we hit the ground, how we can do.'

When asked about his goals for the weekend, the rookie remained realistic. 'It's hard to say. I don't really know what to expect because it's my first Grand Prix, so I don't want to set anything too high. I just want to do a clean weekend, with a nice rhythm, in order to be able to build up from that point.'

Fortunately for Antonelli, he is already familiar with Albert Park, having raced there in Formula 2 last year. 'I know the track, so I don't have to learn it. You understand the track, where you can overtake, where you can defend the best, so definitely F2 was a good help last year.'

/IANS