Russell is hungry for Spain glory: 'If there's a gap I'm going for it'

How does Russell fancy his chances at a top 3 finish? "We're definitely in the mix for the podium," said the Briton during the drivers' parade.

"I think the pace of the Red Bull in the race has been very strong recently. But then on the hard compounds in Bahrain, they struggled a bit and we were strong. So we're hoping it's more like Bahrain than what we saw in Imola as an example," added Russell hinting at Mercedes eyeing Max Verstappen as a potential rival, should the circumstances play into Mercedes' hand.

Nevertheless Russell did highlight the fact that punching above his weight has consequences, as he experienced in Imola. "It's going to be intriguing, but we need to recognize quickly who we are fighting."

When asked about the start of the race, "I started fourth last year and we were leading a turn one, so that was pretty nice. But I don't think the guys will give us the same opportunity like they did last year. Nevertheless, I'll be going for it if there's an opportunity."