Mercedes star George Russell is confident he can dethrone Max Verstappen as Formula 1 world champion next season.
Russell leads Lewis Hamilton by 24 points heading into the last race of the season in Abu Dhabi, having also finished above the seven-time World Champion in the 2022 campaign, though it was Hamilton who was 69 points in front of his team-mate last year.
Russell will be heading into his final weekend as Hamilton's team-mate in Abu Dhabi after three seasons together at Mercedes, and took his third career victory at the Las Vegas Grand Prix in November.
With Verstappen having won the title four years in a row, Russell explained that, given how closely fought his in-team battle has been with the sport's most statistically successful driver, he has put himself in a position to be ready to fight for a World Championship, should his machinery offer him the chance to do so.
He will take on the assumed mantle of senior driver within Mercedes next year, upon the arrival of highly-rated Italian rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli in 2025.
"I've been in F1 six years now, next year is my seventh, and my fourth year with the team," Russell told The Times.
"I feel absolutely ready to take my journey to the next level and I feel ready to fight for a championship.
"I feel ready to fight against Max and if we get the opportunity, I'm not going to waste it.
"I feel I've been ready for three years. I'm team-mates with the greatest driver of all time and if you're ever finishing ahead of Lewis Hamilton or beating him in a championship, you know that probably in 12 other seasons that would have been enough to win, or at least fight for a World Championship."
Verstappen crossed the line fifth to be crowned World Champion for a fourth time while Russell sprayed the winner's champagne in Las Vegas, and he managed to hold off the challenge of McLaren's Lando Norris to do so.
Russell made the point of Red Bull not having the fastest car for a significant portion of the season, and Verstappen doing – as he believes Mercedes have this year – making the most of the opportunities available when the car has been the quickest on track.
"Arguably, Max shouldn't have won the championship this year," Russell said.
"But the others made a few more errors and didn't capitalise when they had the chance. I feel that we have [won what we could].
"Opportunities don't come around every single day. This year was Lando's chance. They [McLaren] might be there again next year. They may not. We just don't know in this sport; nobody would have predicted Red Bull to fall off form in the manner that they have.
"The difference with [Verstappen] this year is he's won every occasion that he's had the chance, and his rivals haven't."
