Russell flags what the FIA must improve after chaotic Australian Grand Prix win

The Mercedes driver, who claimed the first race win of the campaign at Albert Park, expressed his delight and described it as a hard-fought battle with Charles Leclerc.

"I’m feeling incredible. It was a hell of a fight at the beginning. We knew it was going to be challenging. I got on the grid, saw my battery level was empty, made a bad start, and then had some really tight battles with Charles, so I was really glad to cross the finish line,” Russell said.

The 28-year-old continued by expressing his gratitude to the Mercedes team for the car they have developed.

"Thank you so much to the whole team, because it’s been a long time coming to have this car beneath us, and we couldn’t have started the season in a better way,” he added.

Despite his victory, Russell highlighted the difficulties posed by the straight mode feature, which he expects the FIA to review.

"We had this suspicion that it was going to be a bit of a yoyo effect, and as soon as one of us got in front, it just felt impossible to hold it. Obviously, with this straight mode, we lose a lot of the front end of the car, so we understeer a lot around these corners. I am sure the FIA are going to have to look at it. It was a bit sketchy, but we made it home in one piece,” he concluded.

Russell, who claimed victory at the Albert Park event, was followed by Kimi Räikkönen, who clinched second place ahead of Scuderia Ferrari’s Leclerc.

The race win for Russell also translated into the lead atop the drivers’ standings. The victory, which was his sixth of his career, placed him seven points ahead of teammate Räikkönen, who sits closely in second place.

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