Russell praises power unit rivals in Barcelona: 'It's not 2014!'

20:11, 26 Jan

Updated: 21:11, 26 Jan

3 Comments

byKada Sarkozi

Rival power unit manufacturers have impressed George Russell after the first pre-season testing day in Barcelona.

"We are pleased with our day, but I've also been impressed by several other teams too."

- George Russell

After Kimi Antonelli ran the morning shift at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, it was the British driver's turn during the afternoon.

Russell completed 95 of the team's 151 laps. As a result, the German team finished with over 700 kilometres of running today.

The W17 on track in Barcelona - Photo: Mercedes AMG F1 Team

After the session, Russell said: "It's great to be back out on track driving an F1 car once again!

"The cars looked really cool out on the circuit and that's positive for our sport.

"They are quite different for us as drivers but, once you get your head around it, driving them is quite intuitive. It's enjoyable being behind-the-wheel and I think there's a lot for fans to look forward to with these new regulations."

Russell impressed by rivals

The Mercedes driver had kind words for both the Red Bull Ford and Ferrari power units.

He continued: "We are pleased with our day, but I've also been impressed by several other teams too.

"The Red Bull power unit has completed a lot of laps which, given that it's their first engine they've built, means they've clearly done a good job. Haas also managed a similar amount of running to ourselves, so the Ferrari power unit has also put together plenty of mileage."

Ahead of the season, many believe Mercedes boasts the most powerful power unit on the grid.

According to Russell, 2014 will not be repeated, when Mercedes first began dominating in the competition.

He concluded: "It's not quite how it was in 2014! The sport has evolved so much since then and the level, in every single aspect, is so high now."

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