George Russell has stated that fixing Mercedes' reliability concerns is a “priority” for the team in the near future.
The Brackley-based squad has enjoyed a rapid opening phase to the year, winning six grands prix in the opening seven rounds.
However, one major weakness of the team's set-up has been its reliability, with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli suffering terminal failures in Canada and Barcelona, respectively.
Team principal Toto Wolff asserted the team will struggle to compete for the title this year if it can't get on top of its reliability woes.
His urgency was echoed by Russell, who stated that the matter is of the highest focus at Mercedes.
“It’s very much a priority for everybody at Mercedes to get on top of,” Russell told media including RacingNews365.
“It’s often the case at the beginning of a new regulation that you’re pushing the boundaries of performance and it’s difficult to know that balance with regards to reliability.”
However, Russell insisted it is not serving as a distraction when he jumps behind the wheel.
“So it’s not something I’m thinking about at all, to be honest, when I drive,” he said.
“But as a team, it’s the highest priority for Mercedes and all of the other Mercedes customer teams.”
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