George Russell has candidly admitted that there are three drivers on the grid whom he wouldn’t trust in a competitive battle.
Despite this acknowledgment, he also observed that Max Verstappen has toned down his aggression on the track.
As Red Bull continues to pull away from their rivals, it has been a frustrating year for Russell and the Mercedes team, with their main competition coming from Aston Martin and Ferrari.
While Verstappen has shown little concern for others on the track, Russell has engaged in more battles throughout the season.
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The two drivers had an incident during the Azerbaijan Sprint, resulting in Verstappen calling Russell a derogatory term.
However, both drivers have since moved on from the incident, and Russell believes that Verstappen has become less aggressive than in the past, given his current position in the championship.
Russell stated: “When you’re battling for a championship, you fight slightly differently, and equally now Max is probably less aggressive than he’s ever been in the past because he’s not in a position where he needs to be aggressive.”
He added that Verstappen can afford to lose a position, confident that he can regain it later in the season.
On the other hand, Russell feels that he is in a “do or die” position, needing to seize every opportunity for victory.
Despite the competitive nature of Formula 1, Russell believes he has a good relationship with several drivers on the grid, having competed against most of them during his youth career.
“Whereas we’re probably in a bit more of a ‘do or die’ position now to get that one chance of victory throughout a season,” Russell said.
“[There are] maybe three drivers on the grid who you wouldn’t feel comfortable going against.
“There’s a trust between most of the drivers. I don’t think [those three unnamed racers] have the spatial awareness of others.
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“So, actually you prefer fighting hard against the great drivers because you know that they’re going to be able to control their car better and place it in hard positions but not dangerous positions comparing with somebody who maybe isn’t at the same level as the best.”
Russell recently achieved his first podium finish of the season, securing third place just behind his teammate at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Currently trailing Lewis Hamilton by 22 points after the first seven races, he’ll be aiming to narrow the gap as the Formula 1 season continues, starting with the upcoming race in Canada.