Russell acknowledged his errors, which significantly impacted his race. However, the bigger picture for Mercedes in Montreal remains promising. Russell captured the team’s first pole position since Hungary last year, and his own first pole since the same race. He led the first 20 laps under intense pressure from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and was competitive throughout the race. Both Verstappen and McLaren’s Lando Norris, who finished second, admitted the Mercedes was the fastest car on the track.
“I’m a bit disappointed in myself,” Russell said after finishing third. “Two errors cost me. Maybe the end result might not have been that much different. But it feels great to be disappointed with third. We truly had a really fast car this weekend, and to be back in the mix fighting for victory was really fun. If you told us ahead of this weekend that we would take pole position and finish P3, we may not have believed you.”
Dedication Yields Results for Mercedes
Mercedes showed remarkable speed in Montreal. Russell’s pole time matched Verstappen’s exactly, but Russell secured the pole position since he set the time first. Even Verstappen admitted he couldn’t match the times that both Russell and teammate Lewis Hamilton managed in the second part of qualifying.
Verstappen and Norris’s claims that Mercedes was the quickest car in the race were debatable. Norris mentioned that he “should have won,” but a safety car period hindered what seemed like a race-winning advantage for McLaren. Meanwhile, Verstappen, once in the lead, looked secure and consistently pulled away.
Nevertheless, being in contention was a significant step forward for Mercedes, validating their recent efforts. Early-season struggles saw the team in worse shape than last year, but since the Miami event, Mercedes believed they had made a crucial breakthrough. They’ve been adding upgrades, including new bodywork, a new floor, and a new front wing, culminating in their best performance of the year in Canada.
Real Progress or Just a Fluke?
Russell and Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff were cautiously optimistic about their performance. Russell noted, “Red Bull has struggled a bit with their car these last three races. We need to see how their performance turns out in Barcelona, which is a more conventional circuit. But this pace increase hasn’t been a surprise to us. Barcelona is going to be interesting for everybody, but I’m confident we can be in the fight.”
Wolff added, “Since Imola, we have taken the right steps and put parts on the car that added performance every weekend. We have new parts coming in Barcelona that should help us, and I hope we can continue this positive trajectory.”
Despite his own mistakes, Russell remained optimistic. “We’ll take all the positives from this weekend. First podium, first pole position of the year, and excited moving forward.”
Hamilton echoed Russell’s sentiments, acknowledging his own need to improve despite finishing fourth. “It’s great we are looking like we are closer to the front, but I have some work to do to improve.”
As Mercedes looks to build on this momentum, the question remains whether this performance marks a turning point or a one-off success. With new parts and renewed confidence, the team is eager to prove they are back in contention at the front of the pack.
