George Russell, British driver for Mercedes AMG F1, expressed his frustration with the team’s Formula 1 car during the qualifying session of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Russell believes that the car is bottoming out too hard at high speeds, which led to his costly mistake at the end of qualifying. Despite showing promising results in practice sessions, Russell dropped from fourth to seventh position due to his error on the final lap. He emphasized the importance of understanding why the car’s performance regressed at crucial moments, referencing previous situations in Bahrain where they faced similar challenges. Russell’s teammate, Lewis Hamilton, also struggled with the rear of his car throughout the weekend, but made setup changes that did not contribute to his overall issues. Russell attributed his own difficulties to the car bouncing and bottoming out in high-speed corners, causing him to lose control. He suggested that the team needs to anticipate these challenges and make adjustments accordingly.
Mercedes was one of the teams most affected by the unexpected phenomenon of bouncing when the new ground effect cars were introduced in 2022. Russell acknowledges that, to improve performance, Mercedes may have to compromise the height of the car in relation to the ground and focus on achieving a more flexible base. He believes they need to find a better balance between seeking downforce and minimizing the negative effects of bouncing. Despite showing good pace at times, there were instances where their performance decreased. Russell remains optimistic about Mercedes’ race pace and believes they can surpass Aston Martin and McLaren. However, he acknowledges that increased turbulence when following another car may hinder their progress in overtaking. Russell is confident that Mercedes has resolved the concerns with engine cooling that affected them in the Bahrain Grand Prix, but they are still investigating why the issue had such a significant impact.
