George Russell is puzzled. After a strong showing in the Friday practice sessions of the Monaco Grand Prix, where Mercedes was near the top of the timesheets, he’s left wondering why their competitors aren’t as quick on Fridays.
Lewis Hamilton set the pace in FP1 and finished the day second overall, just behind Charles Leclerc. However, come Saturday, Russell and Hamilton only secured fifth and seventh places, respectively, in qualifying. Russell’s three-tenths gap from the pole position time prompted former F1 driver Mark Webber to ask if Mercedes loses speed as the track ramps up over the weekend.
Russell’s response to Channel 4 pundit Mark Webber was straightforward: “To be honest, we’re questioning why our competitors aren’t quick on a Friday. Our strategists go through the numbers and always tell us we’re around P5, P6 when they look at the data—the fuel loads, the engine modes—and we always end up a little bit higher on the order than we probably deserve to be. So it may seem like that on the face of it, but the truth is we’re pretty consistent.”
This weekend, Russell was equipped with a new spec front wing, and he was optimistic about its performance: “I’m feeling really happy with the car, to be honest. This weekend I had the new front wing on my side and it was performing really well. I think this was the most competitive weekend we’ve had all year. Obviously, we all look a bit flatter based on Red Bull’s sort of lack of performance, but I really hope it’s going to be a turning point for us.” Despite the step forward, Mercedes has yet to feature on a Grand Prix podium this season and currently sits fourth in the Constructors’ Championship with 96 points. Russell is P7 in the Drivers’ standings, 12 points ahead of Hamilton.
In related news, Lewis Hamilton will be getting the new front wing for the Canadian Grand Prix, an upgrade confirmed after a ‘coin toss.’ The team has yet to feature on the podium this season and faces internal discussions and strategic decisions to enhance their standing.
Mercedes is optimistic but cautious as they look to turn their fortunes around with new upgrades. With strong performances in practice, the question remains whether they can translate that into race-day success.
Source: Planetf1
