Russell: I thought I’d fight for the F1 title sooner at Mercedes

Fortunes in Formula 1 1 can change quickly, and Russell points to examples from the sport’s history where patience in pursuit of glory was required.

Speaking during an Untapped podcast with Spencer Matthews, Russell said: "I'm more motivated than ever to try to perform. I would have hoped that after seven seasons, I would have at least had one year where I fought for the championship. When I joined Mercedes, we thought every year would be a fight for the championship.

"Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way. It's the same for Charles [Leclerc]. No one could have predicted two years ago that McLaren would make this move. Lando [Norris] spent five years with them and didn’t have the opportunity to fight either."

Russell accepts that unpredictability has always been part of the sport. "You have to accept that this is the nature of F1. It always has been. Take Michael Schumacher, for example: he was in his fifth year at Ferrari, in his thirties, before he won a championship with them. I'm 27, so I've still got a bit of time ahead of me."

The Mercedes driver reflected on the team’s ongoing struggles but noted that some podiums this season were earned more through circumstance than outright performance. "There was clearly a little problem with that suspension, and something didn’t work as expected."

"We definitely struggled in the warm-weather races. At the start of the year it was spring, and now it's summer, which is another factor. I think we were doing well at the start of the year, to be honest."

Russell started the 2025 campaign strongly, scoring four podiums in the first six races. But in his own assessment, not all were down to pure pace. "I got four podiums in the first six races, but I would say only two of them were truly deserved.

"In Melbourne, Piastri came out on top. In Miami, the VSC worked in our favour. Then, third place in China was a fair result and Bahrain was a great result. It was probably the best race of the year, except for Canada."

As Formula 1 heads into its final ten-round stretch, Russell’s focus remains on maximising results with Mercedes while keeping his eyes firmly on the long-term goal, a championship fight he still believes is within reach.