George Russell issues 'slam dunk' response after critical Mercedes change

George Russell insists Mercedes must be "realistic" about its prospects at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, in an attempt to dampen expectations of a repeat from last year.

12 months ago, the Brackley-based squad dominanted in Sin City, with the British driver leading home compatriot and then-team-mate Lewis Hamilton in a one-two for the Silver Arrows.

However, the five-time grand prix winner believes the development of the W16 means that whilst it is stronger than its predecessor across the board, it may not be as impressive in the unique conditions of the city in the Mojave Desert, where cool evening temperatures are combined with a low-grip surface to make one of the most formidable challenges of the F1 season.

"It wasn't bad," Russell said when reflecting on the first day of track action in Nevada. "I think we're in the mix.

"I think we have to be realistic — there were a lot of expectations on us coming into this weekend, but we've changed the car a lot since last year, and that's definitely made it a better car over the course of the season, but maybe hasn't made it as competitive as we were here 12 months ago.

"But we're still there or thereabouts, but it was close, so there's a lot of... Lando [Norris] was quick, [Max] Verstappen and [Charles] Leclerc were quick in FP1, Kimi [Antonelli] was quick. So it's gonna be close."

The 27-year-old was ninth fastest in FP1, just ahead of his team-mate. However, the young Italian improved in FP2, going second quickest.

Russell, meanwhile, had to settle for seventh in a disrupted session — with the first red flag interrupting what would have been his best lap.

The Briton also suspects rival teams have adapted to the level of performance Mercedes displayed in Las Vegas last season, another factor that underlines his view that a strong result is not a "slam dunk" this weekend.

"I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of teams brought some small changes to their car for this weekend based on how good we were here last year," he mused when asked if the eight-time constructors' champion was again in the hunt for victory.

"So, as I said, I don't want to get ahead of ourselves. We weren't exactly setting the timing sheets on fire today, so we've got to be realistic. We're there or thereabouts, but definitely not a slam dunk."