Russell: P3 was the maximum for us today

Russell lost a place to McLaren's Lando Norris while fighting Oscar Piastri for the lead but managed to pass the Briton in the pits but could not keep him at bay for long.

Norris managed to pass Russell, who then settled in third place, and while the former suffered brake issues towards the end, the #4 McLaren managed to cross the line ahead of the #63 Mercedes.

It was not a bad day for the eight-time Formula 1 constructors' champions as Andrea Kimi Antonelli finished eighth but was promoted to sixth after Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were disqualified from the race classification.

"P3 was the maximum for us today," Russell said in Mercedes' team report. "We can therefore be pleased with the result and getting our second podium in two races to start the season.

"I made a good start and tried to take the lead from Oscar (Piastri). It was unfortunate to not be able to make the pass, and then to lose out to Lando, but fair play to Oscar as he defended well.

"Overall, the McLarens were just a little bit too quick for us. As much as we want our race to be with them, at the moment it isn't. We therefore have to be happy that we were best of the rest today.

"It has been a really positive start our season. We finished P3 in Melbourne, P4 in the Sprint yesterday, and P3 again today. We have been consistent, and the car has felt good.

"We will keep working hard to make it faster and hopefully we can close the gap to the very front," Russell concluded.

Antonelli, who was voted driver of the day, commented on his race, revealing: "The race was pretty tough after I suffered floor damage on lap one. It looks like I hit some debris and that affected the performance quite heavily.

"I struggled with the rear in particular after that and that was something I wasn't expecting. It definitely hindered my pace, but it was good learning to have to deal with that.

"I think we can still be happy that we were able to bring home some points in P8," the Italian added before knowing of his promotion after Ferrari's disqualification. "Even though that wasn't what we were hoping for ahead of the race.

"Overall, I'm happy with how I, and the team as a whole, have started the year," Antonelli went on. "I think one of the main points of learning for me has been Qualifying. If I can put it all together on a Saturday then we will be starting further forward, less likely to get involved in incidents, and can maximise the pace of the car.

"I'm excited to get to work ahead of the next triple-header and come back refreshed for the races in Japan, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia," the Mercedes rookie concluded.

Summing up his team's Chinese Grand Prix, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said: "That was a solid afternoon's work. A podium felt like the realistic best-case scenario for us ahead of the race and that is what we were able to achieve.

"We knew that the McLarens were going to be very strong, and that the Ferraris and Verstappen were also going to be a threat.

"I don't often give 10 out of 10s as I think there is always room to improve but George was faultless today," he said of Russell's result. "He extracted the maximum from the car and for me, that was a 10 out of 10 drive. He has started this season incredibly well and is performing exactly as we knew he would as the senior driver.

"Kimi's race was unfortunately compromised by floor damage he sustained on the first lap. He kept his head down though and fought really hard, despite the sizeable performance deficit he was carrying, to come home a creditable P8. He didn't complain throughout the race, just kept focused on the job, and that's exactly what we want to see.

"Overall, it's been a good start to the new season," the Austrian stated. "The ambition is to win but we don't feel any entitlement that we should. The car is not quite as fast as the McLaren as the moment, but the team are working hard to close that gap.

"For now, we are maximising the performance we have and to leave China second in the Constructors' Championship, having taken two podiums for the first two races, is satisfying," Wolff concluded.