George Russell gives a blunt response when asked about the top 3 drivers this F1 season

George Russell was not interested in giving the answer for the best three drivers of 2023 as he believed that only Max Verstappen's spot at No. 1 in the sport is the coveted prize worth focusing on.

During the pre-race press conference at the Austrian GP, a Bild reporter asked every driver to name their top-3 drivers in 2023 as F1 approached the halfway point of the season. While most drivers agreed that Verstappen is number one, Russell was not bothered about the other places in the rankings.

The Mercedes driver gave a blunt answer and said:

"I don’t know, to be honest. I think we’re all so focused on our job that obviously Max is the one doing the solid job week-in, week-out. He’s the number one at the moment. Number two and number three? No one else cares about. We’re all after number one, so yeah, that’s Max’s spot at the moment."

George Russell further explained his non-commital response and added:

"I haven’t but… This sport’s incredibly difficult to judge and it’s… I think that’s the challenge of Formula 1. We’ve said it before. As drivers, we want to be in a position where we can go head to toe (sic) week-in, week-out with everyone on a level playing field."

"In an ideal world, all of the cars are the same and then we truly know. Max spent three years at Red Bull winning a couple of races here and there and now he’s winning 20 a year or whatever."

He concluded by saying:

"It’s not because he’s suddenly got a second a lap faster over three years of driving; he’s just doing the job when the car’s giving him the opportunity. Many drivers are doing a good job. Fernando’s doing a good job, Lewis is doing a good job, Lando, and Oscar’s doing a good job. Hulk, P2 last week, he’s doing a good job. Who knows? I hope that answers your question."

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George Russell previews the Austrian GP this weekend

The Briton claimed that the Red Bull Ring had certain tricky corners which makes it difficult to set up the car at the 2023 F1 Austrian GP.

George Russell said:

"I mean, it's got a combination of corners, being on the hill it's always quite exposed to the wind, so you get these moments where it catches you out. But, you know, it's the same for everybody. Last year wasn't our finest Qualifying session. But we had a good race. And this year's going to be a different dynamic again, with the weather that may be here throughout the weekend, with only the one practice session. I’m excited to get going."

Hopefully, this weekend will yield better results for George Russell to help him get closer to his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton in the drivers' championship.