Red Bull Holding Back Its True Pace Advantage, Suggests George Russell

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George Russell has suggested that Red Bull Racing has not yet revealed its true potential for fear that the FIA, the governing body of Formula One, will take steps to slow them down. The Mercedes driver believes that Red Bull is wary of F1 stepping in with rule changes aimed at slowing a dominant car, which has happened in the past.

Russell believes that Red Bull is holding back as it fears the sport will attempt to reduce their speed advantage. "They're almost embarrassed to show their full potential because the faster they seem globally the more the sport is going to try and hold them back somehow," Russell said in a statement after retiring from the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Realistically, Russell thinks that Red Bull has a significant advantage of about seven-tenths of a second over the rest of the field. He believes that Max Verstappen, the Red Bull driver, has no reason to push his car to its limits.

"They've done a really great job, to be fair to them, can't take anything away. We clearly have to up our game," added Russell.

Red Bull Dominates the Field

Red Bull Racing has been the dominant force in the 2023 Formula One season so far.

The team has won all three races, with Verstappen leading the drivers' championship. Red Bull has looked to be in a class of its own this year, with a 58 point lead over Aston Martin in the constructors' championship. Mercedes, the former world champions, had a slow start to the season but showed a clear improvement at the Australian Grand Prix.

Russell briefly led a Mercedes one-two before retiring due to a car failure. Verstappen then overtook Lewis Hamilton, Russell's teammate, with the help of F1's Drag Reduction System (DRS) overtaking aid. As the season progresses, it remains to be seen if Red Bull Racing will continue to dominate, or if other teams will catch up. Nevertheless, the fear of F1 stepping in to slow them down looms over Red Bull's potential for a perfect season.