George Russell has given Mercedes fans a glimmer of hope for Saudi Arabia by tipping his team to fight for a podium placed in Jeddah.
However, the rising star has little expectation of anyone being able to challenge the Red Bull duo of world champion Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. The Dutchman led the pair home in a one-two in the season opener in Bahrain, with the searing pace of the RB14 cars notable a dominant weekend.
In contrast, the Silver Arrows pairing struggled, with Lewis Hamilton fifth and Russell himself seventh. The 25-year-old afterwards made a worrying admission, conceding he felt Verstappen and Perez would win every single race between them in 2023.
