George Russell makes big McLaren claim amid F1 title fight

George Russell believes McLaren is “the team to be right now” ahead of the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix, as Mercedes is “an upgrade behind most”.

McLaren’s difficult start to the 2026 season and Lando Norris’ title defence has given way in recent rounds to a resurgence in form.

Following several big upgrades, McLaren has won the last two grands prix in Hungary and the Netherlands, with Norris chasing a hat-trick in 2026. This weekend at Monza.

“I think you can look at it from two angles,” George Russell said on Thursday about Mercedes’ Zandvoort weekend.

“Did they underperform on Friday and reach their potential on Saturday, and did we maybe overperform on the sprints?

“[Looking] at how competitive Lando and McLaren have been, I think it’s very, very fair to say that they are the team to beat right now.

“We know we’re an upgrade behind most, and we hope we can go back to being the team to beat in a couple of races’ time.

“But for now, aside from McLaren, Ferrari have got upgrades this weekend.

“I actually think we came away from Zandvoort after a very positive weekend, and I think a P2 and a P3 and a sprint win is probably better than the true car’s performance.”

‘We can’t forget Red Bull’

Mercedes power is expected to hold an advantage at Monza, though Russell has cautioned that “we can’t forget Red Bull”, following its strong showing at Spa with its Ford power unit.

“I don’t know if we can say we are favourites this weekend, but we probably have a greater opportunity than in the last two races, where it’s been less about the power unit and more about the chassis,” Russell, who is 59 points off the championship lead, added.

“I think we had the best chassis, and I think we will do again in the coming races.

“We can’t forget Red Bull has a very strong power unit as well.

“We know this circuit will suit them more than the others.

“Ferrari have their upgrades. So, I think it can be a four-team race this weekend.

“It’s so close right now that last tenth in qualifying can be the difference between a few positions, which can change the podium.”