George Russell has doubled down on his belief that McLaren boast the strongest Formula 1 package, tipping them to dominate as the championship heats up.
After kicking off the 2025 season with three cooler races in Australia, China, and Japan, the teams are now preparing for a dramatic change in conditions.
The upcoming Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix, the final two legs of the current triple-header, will see temperatures soar, and Russell is convinced McLaren are ready to thrive.
The Mercedes driver first sparked debate at the season opener when he told Sky Sports F1 that McLaren could sweep every race this year without even upgrading their car, a bold claim that fellow Brit Lando Norris quickly dismissed.
While Max Verstappen’s win for Red Bull at Suzuka dashed that possibility, Russell remains adamant that McLaren’s best is yet to come as the heat intensifies.
“We haven’t seen the full potential of McLaren yet,” Russell said on Sky Sports F1. “The first three races have been cold, we’ve been wearing jackets here and in China last week. But when we hit Bahrain with 35 degrees, and Saudi with 30 or 35 degrees, that’s where I think those guys are going to excel.”
Mercedes, meanwhile, have historically performed well in cooler conditions, and Russell acknowledged their solid start to the season. “We’ve always been strong in the colder races, so I’m keeping my expectations realistic,” he added.
“It’s been a great opening three rounds, but with 21 races left, there’s a long way to go.”
Russell himself has enjoyed a strong start to 2025 with the W16, securing two podiums in the first two races. However, Japan proved a tougher challenge. A slip-up during his final qualifying lap left him fifth on the grid, and he finished the race in the same position.
Reflecting on his performance, he said, “The last couple of years, I’ve lacked consistency, and that’s something I’ve worked on. This has been a solid start, and I’m happy. P4 was probably the fair result in Japan, but we brought it home in P5.”
Looking ahead, the teams are gearing up for the Bahrain Grand Prix on April 13, where they will tackle 57 laps of the 5.412-kilometre Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir. With temperatures rising and Russell tipping McLaren for a breakthrough, the Gulf double-header promises to deliver high-stakes action under the desert sun.
