George Russell believes his "scrappy" 2023 Formula 1 season so far is down to wanting bigger results for his team.
The Briton has struggled to replicate his form from last year, after he beat Lewis Hamilton on points and scored his maiden and the only race win for Mercedes in 2022 at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
He currently sits seventh in the Drivers' Championship, which is 55 points off teammate Lewis Hamilton in fourth, having only scored one podium, in Spain, across the first 14 races.
Russell believes more opportunities got away when speaking to media, including RacingNews365: "This season for me has been a very challenging one. In terms of performance, the first six races were really, really strong," he said.
"A few things went away from us, if things really went our way in Australia there's no reason we couldn't have fought for the victory.
"The engine went, we lost 18 points, then I made the mistake in Montreal and lost another 12 points. So it's been a very, very scrappy season from my side so far."
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Russell: We can't let our P2 slip
Mercedes is currently in a close battle for second in the Constructors' Championship with Ferrari and Aston Martin.
In the Italian Grand Prix, both Ferraris finished ahead of both Mercedes for only the third time this season, reducing Mercedes' advantage in the standings to 45 points.
Russell has outlined his goals to ensure the team does not let their current position slip in the final eight races of the season.
"My goal is to have a smoother end to the season, just to maximise the results," he explained.
"That was probably the goal more so last year, whereas this year I've been risking a bit more to try and get a bigger result.
"We're in a pretty comfortable position in P2, but we can't let that slip.
"The way that I help the team achieve this, is if I'm just putting in the consistent and solid results.
"But if there's a chance to win, I'll give it everything to achieve that."
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