Russell stands by Red Bull assessment: They're in a league of their own!

George Russell says he remains convinced that Red Bull will dominate the 2023 Formula 1 World Championship. The drinks-backed squad eased to a 1-2 finish in the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, prompting many within the paddock to predict a Red Bull walkover this year, with Russell opining that they could win every race in 2023. Red Bull have sought to play down the significance of their Bahrain dominance, with driver Sergio Perez noting that the unique characteristics of the Sakhir circuit could make that result an outlier . In contrast to Red Bull's Bahrain cakewalk, Russell finished a lowly seventh in Mercedes' troublesome W14, and speaking before the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend, the Briton said he stood by his initial assessment of Red Bull's dominance.

Russell: Red Bull in a league of their own

"When I rewatched the [Bahrain Grand Prix], and I see that Red Bull were one second faster than everyone, and their engineers were telling them to slow down and manage the pace, it's clearly a bit concerning, and we have to give them credit for the work they've done," Russell told media, including RacingNews365.com . "I think we've recognised some things on their car that are very interesting and intriguing designs that are clearly working to their benefit really well. "Of course, there might be races where there's reliability [problems] or crashes, or whatever, but they're in a league of their own at the moment. "I think the view among the paddock is they're probably not showing their full potential either, they're holding something back, so I see no reason why they shouldn't be the fastest car every weekend."