George Russell, a British driver for the Mercedes AMG F1 team, recently shared that the team used a rather unusual method to determine who would receive an updated front wing for the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix. Instead of simply assigning it to a driver, the team proposed a « heads or tails » to decide. However, Lewis Hamilton, Russell’s teammate and seven-time world champion, decided to let Russell have the new front wing.
This decision proved to be wise, as Russell outperformed Hamilton in the Monaco GP qualifying, securing a fifth place result. Hamilton’s choice not to use the new front wing was due to the risks associated with the challenging Monaco circuit. He didn’t want to risk damaging the unique wing, which would be irrecoverable.
Russell explained the situation during an interview with the Channel 4 F1 broadcast team. He expressed his gratitude to Hamilton for allowing him to use the front wing, acknowledging the risks involved. Russell saw this as a belated birthday gift, appreciating the opportunity to showcase his skills with the updated piece.
The revelation that a highly successful team like Mercedes would resort to a heads or tails to determine upgrades is certainly surprising. This raises questions about the decision-making process within the team. However, despite being surpassed by Russell in qualifying, Hamilton remained positive and praised the efforts of the Mercedes staff in developing improvements for his car. He expressed excitement for future upgrades and hoped to narrow the gap with his competitors.
Actuellement, Mercedes occupe la quatrième place au championnat des constructeurs, derrière McLaren de 88 points. Russell a contribué avec 54 points au total de Mercedes, tandis que Hamilton a accumulé 42 points. Ils occupent actuellement les septième et huitième positions, respectivement, au championnat des pilotes.
Alors que l’équipe se prépare pour le prochain Grand Prix du Canada, ils chercheront sans aucun doute à poursuivre leurs efforts pour améliorer leurs performances et réduire l’écart au classement du championnat.
