F1, Russell optimistic for challenge with Ferrari

Mercedes driver Russell after free practice in Abu Dhabi: “We will be able to fight for the top three places in qualifying on Saturday.”

Mercedes driver George Russell commented optimistically on the free practice session in Abu Dhabi, where he finished in second place: “With the new elements we got on well, we performed satisfactorily in PL1s, especially on my side of the garage, I’m looking forward to 2023 with what we learned today. For PL2, the track changed completely as the temperature dropped. The car looked fast, but I think Red Bull is ahead of us in terms of single lap pace and maybe even long runs.”

However, the comparison with Ferrari is positive: “We have some work to do overnight, but compared to Ferrari our performance, from what we can tell so far, looks good for this weekend. I like to think that we will be able to fight for the top three places in qualifying tomorrow and see where we can be on Sunday. We will keep our heads down and work all night,” are the words to Sky.