F1 Dutch GP: George Russell makes his position clear on Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari battle. George Russell has revealed Mercedes’ main target for the rest of the 2025 Formula 1 season.

George Russell sets Mercedes’ target ahead of the Dutch GP

On media day at the Dutch Grand Prix, George Russell gave his assessment of Mercedes’ season so far and outlined the team’s ambitions for the final part of 2025. The Brackley-based squad currently sits third in the Constructors’ standings with 236 points, just behind Ferrari. After 14 races marked by inconsistency, George Russell made it clear that Mercedes knows exactly what it wants to achieve before the year is over. The British driver also reflected on the recent comments made by Lewis Hamilton after qualifying in Hungary.

Ten races left and one clear objective

Mercedes has endured a mixed campaign, with some updates failing to deliver the desired performance. This forced the team to take a step back with certain developments, which inevitably affected their fight in the Constructors’ Championship. George Russell explained ahead of Zandvoort: “I think we are definitely in a solid position since we went back on some of the changes we had been testing, and that is clear.”

McLaren has already established a commanding lead at the top of the standings, leaving the battle for second as the real fight to watch. Ferrari sits only 24 points behind Mercedes, and George Russell is fully aware that the challenge remains wide open: “Yes, Hungary was a bit of a strange race, with an unusual performance. Ferrari showed real signs of strength and then struggled again, while Red Bull were off the pace. Our performance as a team was quite normal. So realistically, our objective is to try and beat Ferrari in the standings this year.”

Hamilton’s comments continue to spark debate

The conversation inevitably turned to Russell’s former teammate, Lewis Hamilton, who made headlines with his emotional comments after qualifying at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion described himself as “useless” in a frustrated interview before the summer break.

George Russell, however, was quick to defend Lewis Hamilton’s reputation: “He is talking nonsense, something like that, because in my opinion he is the greatest driver of all time. When you find yourself in a situation like that, having just stepped out of the car and facing the media ten minutes later, you are still full of emotion. When you have a bad day, that’s how you feel; when things go well, everything looks different. And we all know that he is still an exceptional driver.”

With ten races left in the season, the battle between Ferrari and Mercedes for second place remains a key objective while both teams continue their preparations for the 2026 Formula 1 campaign.