Editorial independence is core to our work. Some links may earn us a commission, without influencing our opinions.7 health tracking features and more to look for in a smartwatch: 10 picks to keep a check on your wellnessCheck out the top 10 smartwatches for tracking your health
Amazon sends joining kit to father whose sacrifices helped son land tech jobAmazon sent a special joining kit to the father of software engineer Shailendra Yadav, who was emotional upon receiving his son's offer letter. Updated on: May 28, 2026 1:52 PM IST By Sanya Jain Share via Copy link Amazon
Indian businessman with $2.8 billion net worth shares powerful business lessonHarsh Goenka’s latest X post breaks down how businesses evolve from small, execution-led setups to large organisations driven by systems and culture. Published on: May 28
‘Words reflect strength’: Indian High Commission welcomes Australian PM's remarks on IndiaPrime Minister Anthony Albanese in his remarks had said how India is one of the largest growing economies. Updated on: May 28, 2026 1:47 PM IST ANI Share via Copy link The Indian High Commission in
60-year-old woman shares going to the gym for 1 year helped her lose 18 kg and improve sugar, BP and thyroid healthIt is never too late to prioritise fitness. A 60-year-old woman recently shared how going to the gym for a year transformed her health and confidence. Published on: May 28
Russell heads into what could be defining year
Russell heads into what could be defining year
George Russell is exuding a quiet sense of confidence as he prepares for the start of what could be a defining year for him in Formula 1.
The Mercedes driver is neither playing down the tag of pre-season championship favourite, nor leaning into it.
It feels more like it's something that changes nothing, has no relevance to the job in hand, which is being the best he can be.
Russell has been asked about it a number of times these past few weeks leading up to the Australian Grand Prix. When he is, he addresses it briefly, sometimes tangentially, and moves on.
A comment about Mercedes having "a lot of potential", for example, was quickly followed by concerns about his car's ability to get off the line, compared with the Ferrari's rocket-ship starts, and about some reliability issues that hit his team in the pre-season testing in Bahrain.
"It does not change my approach one single bit," Russell says. "I'm working so hard with the team, everybody here has been working flat out to really maximise this new set of regulations and I'm honestly just so excited by the challenge.
"Because it is a huge challenge adapting to these new cars, how the energy management works, the re-harvesting of the batteries, getting your head around the boost system, the overtake modes, the active aero.
There's a lot of things we need to learn very quickly, but I feel I can take advantage from that and I feel confident with myself and my team.
The Briton, who turned 28 last month, has been among the most accepting of the new rules founded in engines with a 50-50 split between internal combustion and electrical power. His mindset seems both positive and fully focused on what's to come.
Russell is entering his eighth F1 season, and his fifth with Mercedes, and has proved himself without any question to be one of the elite in his sport.
Three seasons with Williams from 2019-21, with team-mates of questionable quality, made it difficult to judge his absolute potential, but some stand-out qualifying performances left little real doubt.
Putting a Williams - one of the slowest cars in the field at the time - second on the grid at Spa-Francorchamps in the wet in 2021 has to stand as one of the all-time great qualifying laps, for example.
When Russell joined Mercedes in 2022, his expectation was that he would become a regular winner and championship contender immediately - the team had just become constructors' champions for a record eighth consecutive time.
But it was Russell's bad luck to join Mercedes just as they made a hash of the new regulations that were introduced in 2022. In four seasons, they never really got on top of them to have a consistently competitive car. There were mere flashes of pace, never fully understood.
Russell had to be satisfied with proving himself against his team-mate. There was at least considerable satisfaction to be gained from that, given that he spent his first three seasons at Mercedes alongside Lewis Hamilton, the most successful F1 driver of all time.
Over their three seasons together, Russell came out on top in two. He has won five races in the past four years, and last season was the only driver to win apart from the three title contenders, McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.
With Verstappen universally acknowledged as the standard to whom all others have to aspire, Russell is one of a small elite group of drivers who stand out from the rest. He's also become a leader among the driver group, through his role as one of three directors of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association.
"It's always nice if your driver is the favourite for the bookmakers and I think he deserves it because he's one of the best," team principal Toto Wolff says.
He's shown us where the performance of the car is and it's been overall more than great to us. George has been in Formula 1 a long time. He's a benchmark.
For seven years now, Russell has been a driver just waiting for the right car, and this year he might have it. This year's new rules have given Mercedes a chance for a reset, and the indication so far is that they have made a much better job of it than last time around.
The feeling in the paddock leaving testing last month is that Mercedes and Ferrari were the teams in the best shape, with Red Bull and McLaren perhaps a little behind in a relatively closely matched top four that is more than a second a lap clear of everyone else.
Russell is confident enough in Mercedes' potential to say that he "thinks we've delivered a very strong car" but he's wary of the performance of Red Bull's new engine.
Even so, his sights are set high. "I do want to go head-to-head with Max," he says. "and obviously Lando had a great season last year."
As things stand, before Melbourne gives the first glimpse of a real competitive order, Russell's obvious potential rivals this year are Verstappen, Norris, Piastri and the two Ferrari drivers, Charles Leclerc and Hamilton, if the seven-time champion can rediscover the mojo he appeared to have lost last year, and to some extent in 2024.
Of Russell's 19-year-old team-mate Kimi Antonelli, who is going into his second season after an up-and-down debut in 2025, Wolff says: "I'm absolutely certain it will be a good year for him, but I don't think we should expect him to be like George all the time."
Russell is good friends with world champion Norris and Leclerc. The three came up through the junior ranks together and all believe that the intense competition they gave each other, along with Williams' Alex Albon, was an important factor in them all reaching F1, as it forced each to keep raising their own standards to keep up with the others.
But it's perhaps a fight with Verstappen that whets the appetite most.
Russell and Verstappen rub along well enough on a surface level, quite happy to chat as and when they end up in news conferences together. But the tension between them is not in doubt.
They had an almighty falling out at the end of the 2024 season, when Verstappen said he'd "lost all respect" for Russell after the Qatar Grand Prix, and accused him of being instrumental in him getting a one-place grid penalty for that race.
Russell responded by saying Verstappen "cannot deal with adversity" and that "people have been bullied by Max for years".
Equally, would Verstappen have responded as he did, if it had been another driver involved in the series of incidents which led to the red-mist moment in which the Dutchman appeared to deliberately drive into Russell's car in Spain last year?
Verstappen has admitted his reaction that day was "not good". But there seems little doubt that a title fight between these two would not be as relatively harmonious as was last year's between Norris, Piastri and Verstappen.
For now, though, that's all speculation and Russell is focusing only on what he can control, while pondering the potential threat of Ferrari and Red Bull.
"The car's feeling good," he said on the final day of pre-season testing. "The new power-units are feeling fast and we're making improvements every single day.
The thing that's going to trip you up is going to be that tallest hurdle," he says. "And that's what we're trying to get our heads around right now. We're stumbling on some at the moment.
Source: BBC
Related Posts: Teacher’s quiet guidance helps students dance with confidence at school event George Russell Strikes Back Mercedes' George Russell Wins Season Opening Australian Grand Prix George Russell wins Formula 1's Australian GP as Mercedes goes 1 George Russell’s Nightmare Season Strikes Again Mercedes' George Russell Claims Singapore GP Pole While McLaren Struggle George Russell secures his first-ever pole position at Singapore Grand Prix iPhone users to get new features soon as Apple prepares iOS 26 Amazon prepares for major layoffs among office workers Ukraine prepares new peace plan as Zelensky rules out giving up land
The Indian men's football team lost 0-2 to Jamaica in the semifinals of the Unity Cup in London, making a disappointing debut appearance in the four-nation tournament. The short competition, which features two semifinals, a third-place play-off and the final
52 minutes ago
This year marks 10 years since spinner Sophie Ecclestone's England debut, and yet she is only 27. She was the teenage sensation who quickly became the first name on the teamsheet, and in 2024 she overtook legendary fast bowler Katherine Sciver-Brunt to become England's leading T20 wicket-taker
50 minutes ago
When doctors express scepticism about whole-body scanning, a predictable counter-argument surfaces on social media within hours. Physicians, the theory goes, have a vested interest in keeping you undiagnosed. Healthy patients don’t fill hospital beds
51 minutes ago
, the chief executive of , has emerged as one of the most influential Indian-origin leaders in global technology today. As a teenager, the Kanpur native was denied a US student visa three times. As CEO, he has overseen rapid growth at the chipmaker
50 minutes ago
550 police personnel deployed, social media monitored to ensure peaceful Bakrid celebrations in MumbaiOfficials said the deployment is aimed at maintaining communal harmony and ensuring that the festival passes off peacefully across the region. Updated on: May 28
50 minutes ago
Selfie Maine Leli Aaj’s Dhinchak Pooja gets married, hides husband’s face; fans demand wedding songDhinchak Pooja, famous for her viral hit 'Selfie Maine Leli Aaj,' recently announced her marriage, sharing a video montage of the ceremony. May 28, 2026
51 minutes ago
After multiple students complained about the new On-Screen Marking (OSM) system, which was introduced by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) for evaluating Class 12 answer papers this year, Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan stated that he had asked the CBSE for a detailed
51 minutes ago
Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange announced an indefinite hunger strike starting May 30, vowing to protest directly under the summer sun without shelter. He warned the Maharashtra government would be responsible for any health complications
51 minutes ago
The Supreme Court on Wednesday (May 27, 2026) agreed to examine if the Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) three-language rule, set to be effective from July 1 for Class 9 students, has placed unreasonable pressure on resources and children.The Supreme Court on Wednesday (May 27
51 minutes ago
A: Yes, and the reason is not just psychological. Researchers know of at least three reasons. First, the human body adjusts surprisingly quickly to temperature. However, this also means that after even one or two cooler days, you may lose a bit of heat adaptation as your blood vessels are less
51 minutes ago
When Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish first met Oliver Glasner in late 2023, he had no idea it would be a meeting that would change the course of the club's history. It was then sporting director, Dougie Freedman, who had set up the get-together in south London
50 minutes ago
The Sports Ministry will deploy IT Consultants to National Sports Federations. This initiative aims to enhance digital systems for better coordination. The plan supports India's preparation for the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad. It also aligns with long-term Olympic ambitions
51 minutes ago
The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Wednesday quashed the anticipatory bail granted to retired judge Giribala Singh in a case pertaining to the death of her daughter-in-law, who was allegedly harassed for dowry, Bar and Bench reported. Twisha Sharma, a 33-year-old model-turned-actor from Noida
50 minutes ago
The US military has carried out strikes on Iran, targeting a military site in Bandar Abbas, a strategic port city. In response, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had targeted a US air base, without providing details of its location
51 minutes ago
Reading Goa: of strong emotions and romantic memoriesGoa became the 25th state of the Indian republic on May 30, 1987. On its 39th anniversary, a look at a few books that capture the contemporary ethos of the place Published on: May 28, 2026 2:05 PM IST By Saurabh Sharma Share via Copy link While
50 minutes ago
TMC's Kakoli Dastidar alleges ‘verbal abuse, misogyny’ by Kalyan Banerjee in letter to Lok Sabha SpeakerThe letter comes a day after Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar resigned from all organisational posts in the Trinamool Congress. Updated on: May 28, 2026 12:10 PM IST By HT News Desk Share via Copy link
2 hours ago
Rakhi Sawant defends Ranveer Singh amid FWICE row over Don 3 dispute: ‘Salman Khan ko ban karke dikhaye’During her recent outing in Mumbai, Rakhi Sawant was seen sharing her thoughts about Ranveer Singh and Don 3 dispute while interacting with the paparazzi. May 28, 2026
2 hours ago
Man who spent 2 decades in Saudi jail, faced death sentence returns to KeralaMan who spent 2 decades in Saudi jail, faced death sentence returns to Kerala Published on: May 28, 2026 12:02 PM IST PTI Share via Copy link Kozhikode, Abdul Rahim
2 hours ago
India U-18 hockey teams eye positive start in Asia CupIndia U-18 hockey teams eye positive start in Asia Cup Published on: May 28, 2026 12:06 PM IST PTI Share via Copy link Kakamigahara , Guided by senior stalwarts like Sardar Singh and Rani Rampal
2 hours ago
Former cricketer Aakash Chopra lauded 15-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi's powerful IPL innings. He called Suryavanshi a special player but cautioned against fast-tracking him to the Indian team. Chopra believes there is ample time for the young talent's national debut
2 hours ago
The Israeli military has issued evacuation orders for large parts of southern Lebanon, declaring the areas "combat zones" ahead of fresh strikes against Hezbollah. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) urged residents to move north of the Zahrani River, about 40km (25 miles) from the border
2 hours ago
BJP announces state president for 3 states; Harsh Malhotra appointed Delhi party chiefWith the appointments, party chief Nitin Nabin has set in motion the process of selecting a new team of office bearers in states as well as the national level Published on: May 28
2 hours ago
'Bachpan ka sapna tha': Man fulfils dream of eating full family pack ice cream aloneWhat once felt like a rare treat is now a personal celebration as a man enjoys a family pack of ice cream after starting to earn. Updated on: May 28, 2026 11:27 AM IST By Vaishali Kapila Share via Copy link For many
2 hours ago
Twisha Sharma's mother-in-law Giribala Singh seen feeding stray dog after quashed anticipatory bailThe order to squash Giribala Singh's anticipatory bail came from the Jabalpur High Court on Wednesday (May 27) Published on: May 28, 2026 12:02 PM IST By Stuti Gupta Share via Copy link In the eye of
2 hours ago
How an Indian man earned ₹1,200 in 10 minutes in London before getting caughtA 25-year-old Indian man has revealed how he managed to earn 10 pounds in London in just 10 minutes Published on: May 28, 2026 11:39 AM IST By Sanya Jain Share via Copy link A 25-year-old Indian man has revealed how he
2 hours ago
Want to live longer? Neurologist explains the ‘9-year longevity equation’ for healthy ageingCan three simple daily habits help you live longer? A neurologist shares the 9-year longevity equation focused on sleep, movement and balanced eating. Published on: May 28
2 hours ago
The Pentagon on Wednesday announced a five-year, $9.69 billion agreement to consolidate Microsoft and other enterprise software licenses scattered across the military services, the intelligence community, and the U.S. Coast Guard into a single contract vehicle, officials said
2 hours ago
