Ahead of his first run in the Mercedes W16, George Russell made it clear he wants a car that is “a bit more than fairly fast” after Toto Wolff said he reckons the Briton can win the title in such a car.

Russell put the first laps on Mercedes’ W16 at the Bahrain International Circuit, carrying out a shakedown in the build-up to pre-season testing.

George Russell ‘definitely wants more’

Laying down the laps in the W16, Russell has yet to give his first impressions of the car having told the media, including PlanetF1.com, at the F1 75 that drivers know almost immediately whether a new car is a winner or not.

“I think within five laps you know whether you’re in for a good season or not,” Russell said. “We’ve known within the first five laps of the last couple of years that we wouldn’t be fighting for the championship. It’s been much more robust this season.”

A good step forward is what Toto Wolff predictions from the W16, which features changes to the suspension, engine cover, and intakes similar to the layout preferred by Red Bull.

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Mercedes team principal Wolff believes Russell, stepping into the team leader following Lewis Hamilton’s departure to Ferrari, can do the job for Mercedes.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Wolff said: “George is ready to win the title, but we have to provide him and Kimi with a fairly fast car.”

Russell though, is hoping for more than just a “fairly” fast car.

Wolff’s comment was put to him by Virgin Radio with the three-time Grand Prix winner replying: “Definitely want a bit more than fairly fast!

“But yeah simple as that really isn’t? We just need to go make a fast car.”

Pressed on Wolff’s comment, he confidently added: “You’ve got it play it down some times.

“From my side, super exited for a new year and hopefully we have a car that we can win races and fight for the championships with.”

Russell is hoping first and foremost that Mercedes have managed to avoid the pitfalls of the last three seasons when solutions were all too often followed by new problems.

“Every year [since 2022] we have uncovered a problem, solved it and it’s created a new one,” he told the media including PlanetF1.com. “We have been a lot more disciplined with every change we have made, and more thorough than ever in terms of the simulator running, just to ensure we’re not going to fall into a new trap.”

“If we bring the performance we expect, it should be a good step forward,” he added. “There are never guarantees. But I’m optimistic we can have a decent season.”

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