Hamilton proved how sturdy the race tempo of the workforce’s W15 is when he completed second within the Shanghai dash, overwhelmed solely by Max Verstappen’s Crimson Bull.
It was a efficiency that confirmed suspicions that the Mercedes is healthier towards the opposition on lengthy runs, however is struggling to extract pretty much as good a efficiency on single-lap type which regularly leaves it far down the order.
Russell stated that Hamilton’s end result confirmed what was doable for the workforce if it may get itself additional up the grid, as his squad labored arduous to resolve why it’s dropping out on recent tyres.
“Lewis proved that if you may get on the fitting aspect of that qualifying group and gaggle of vehicles, we will go on to attain a podium,” he stated. “The potential was there in Bahrain, and Lewis did it [in the sprint]. If that was a primary grand prix, he would nonetheless most likely have completed P3.
“However qualifying was a tough one. So it is not simple for anyone, and I feel Ferrari aren’t content material, Aston aren’t glad. All people needs to be preventing for victories and, proper now, no workforce is doing a adequate job bar Crimson Bull.”
Russell stated that the glimmer of sunshine delivered by Hamilton’s podium couldn’t disguise the truth that Mercedes nonetheless wanted to work arduous to not qualify within the pack.
“I feel that is simply the place we’re as a workforce in the intervening time,” he stated. “We’re in that combat. We all know we’ve a sooner race automobile, 9 instances out of 10, than we do a qualifying automobile.
“Within the [sprint] race we have been faster than Aston, we have been faster than McLaren, and possibly a small step behind Ferrari. That is been a small development during the last three years the place we have been barely on the again foot on a Saturday, and we come ahead on a Sunday.
“However we’re not content material with the place we’re. We have got lots of work to do. And we’re all on this combat for better of the remaining.”
Hamilton’s pleasure on the dash podium didn’t final lengthy as a disappointing qualifying efficiency, the place he was caught out by a tailwind at Turn 14, left him knocked out in Q1 and down in 18th on the grid.
Requested if he was shocked to see Hamilton up to now down, Russell stated: “After all. He’s the best driver of all time and that is not the place he must be. It’s not the place we must be preventing.
“However we’re right here collectively as a workforce. And collectively, we simply have to carry on pushing ahead and attempt to make some large good points because the season goes on.”