Following Hamilton’s transfer to Ferrari, Russell takes over as staff chief alongside new team-mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Antonelli, an 18-year-old Italian considered probably the most prodigious younger skills within the sport, mentioned: “Winter preparation has been fairly intense. Actually fascinating. Making an attempt to give attention to as many issues as attainable, need to keep away from arriving to Melbourne to have some dangerous shock.”
Russell mentioned: “Even when the line-up stayed the identical this yr, going into this season it is my fourth with Mercedes, seventh in F1.
“Final yr was most likely my strongest ever and I really feel I am getting stronger year-on-year. So even when issues had stayed the identical, I felt an enormous quantity of assist from the staff.
“Equally the staff gave me that assist after I joined and now Kimi is a super-fast driver, super-motivated. Naturally so much to be taught however I’m certain it should be an excellent season collectively.”
Mercedes gained eight consecutive constructors’ titles from 2014-21 however have fallen from the very entrance since new rules have been launched for 2022, successful solely 5 grands prix in three years.
Russell mentioned: “The final couple of years we now have been so centered on fixing the issue, we weren’t looking forward to what future points it might trigger.
“You resolve one factor and it creates a brand new drawback, we now have been way more forward-thinking than we now have prior to now.
“Once you’re altering traits of the automotive, if you happen to make the entrance stronger it’ll take away from the rear, and if you happen to go too far, that is simply as a lot of an issue as the other way.
“It is being thorough, saying: ‘These are the elemental modifications we will make. We expect it should do X, is that going to be an issue at these races and in that case how are we going to drive round it?'”
Wolff mentioned Antonelli “has all the required expertise to realize nice issues on the pinnacle of the game, however it is a rookie season and there’ll inevitably be ups and downs. We’re trying ahead to that journey collectively although and serving to him develop over the course of the yr”.
