Canadian Grampuri winner George Russell feels he’s driving more than ever as he approaches the final six months of his Mercedes contract.
Sunday’s victory in Montreal was set by Russell’s pole rap on Saturday, where he defeated Max Verstappen in the 0.160s, and he officially took the lead, keeping the Dutch at bay during the race. By securing the fourth victory of his career, Russell, who is out of contract at the end of the season, says his performance will help him with his negotiating position.
“It doesn’t hurt!” Russell said. “It doesn’t hurt at all. But like I’ve said many times, I’m not worried about next year at all. I know I’ll be on the grid next year. I feel like I’m driving more than ever.
“I feel ready to compete for the World Championships. I think the results like today are like Bahrain this year. When we get half the chance of a good result, we’re there to take it.
Russell admits that Mercedes had high expectations of arriving in Montreal after a strong show a year ago, and is pleased that the team can maximize their chances of winning the season.
“It was great to see you (Antoneri) as well as the podium and see you (Antoneri). It’s really, really delighted to him. And as a team, we’ve been performing very well this year. Until the last triple header, we were making the most of every race weekend, whether it was a P2 in Bahrain or the other podiums we had.
“But coming to Canada, we knew we could compete for a race victory with Paul and the race, and ultimately we came down to that qualup.
Russell was made to wait for his victory to be confirmed by the Red Bull protests, but during the race he felt he was in control of Verstappen given the pace that Mercedes could display.
“To be honest, there’s obviously a lot of noise going on in Spain over the last few weeks, but from my side, you put it on one side and if you’re off to a good start, you know that there was a potentially fastest car.
“Of course, when Charles (Leclerc) and Lando (Norris) were in the offset strategy, it was a bit challenging. They were in our way. But when the air cleared, I was able to bring out the gap comfortably. It wasn’t easy.
“I was watching how you ride and on TV I saw Rand and Oscar (Piastry) closed. But no, it was a good day. And I’m proud of myself, especially after this time when the victory was lost 12 months ago.”