Russell is tough on Mercedes: 'We are nowhere near where we need to be'

Mercedes made a good impression during the last race weekend in Canada, but according to George Russell that does not mean that the team has already reached the big goal. The Brit believes that the German team still needs to improve the car in order to compete with the top teams, he told Formule1.nl.

Sergio Perez's retirement helped Lewis Hamilton secure his second podium of the season in Montreal. Russell managed to finish in fourth place, ensuring he has finished in the top five at every Grand Prix this season.

Russell demands sharpness from Mercedes

The performances of Hamilton and Russell give Mercedes confidence for the coming weeks. However, in the interview Russell pointed to the improvements needed to achieve such performances every race weekend. "It looked like an improvement on paper, but we are nowhere near where we need to be," he stressed.

"So we haven't made much progress yet, but we are still working hard to close that gap," Russell said, echoing Toto Wolff's earlier words. The team boss revealed after the Canada GP that Mercedes might have to adjust its targets this season.