Russell’s previous triumph for Mercedes goes back to the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix, while Hamilton’s most recent victory occurred at the second-to-last race of the 2021 season in Saudi Arabia.
George Russell has openly challenged Lewis Hamilton’s claims regarding their car configurations at the Bahrain Grand Prix, asserting that their Mercedes vehicles had notably similar setups.
This discussion takes place in the context of Hamilton’s recent announcement that he will be joining Ferrari in 2025, marking his final year with Mercedes.
In the opening race of the 2024 season in Bahrain, Russell secured a third-place starting position, closely trailing Max Verstappen, while Hamilton finished ninth, lagging behind his teammate.
Despite their efforts, both Mercedes drivers encountered difficulties during the race, finishing fifth and seventh respectively, as the team struggled with overheating issues caused by a miscalculated cooling setup.
The ambient temperatures in Sakhir were unexpectedly high, adding complexity to the race conditions.
During a post-qualifying interaction, Hamilton shared his perspective on the setup choices.
He emphasized a divergence in their setup approaches, stating, “During my work on Thursday, we were using identical car configurations, and I felt great.
“We took different paths – he went one way, and I went the other.
“You could argue that the one I chose is not advantageous for a single lap, but I hope it will be beneficial during the race.
“I wasn’t satisfied with my race pace during practice.
“So I made changes to the car in the hopes of improving the race pace, but we’ll see if that’s truly the case.”
However, Russell disputed this viewpoint after the race, suggesting that their setups were more similar than different and that his own setup was arguably more focused on the race.
He stated, “Many people have said this.
“To be honest, I don’t really know the major differences because as far as I know, our cars are quite similar.
“I don’t pay too much attention to his setup. Actually, mine was more geared towards the race than the setup he used. At least, it was on Friday [for qualifying].”
Russell’s previous triumph for Mercedes goes back to the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix, while Hamilton’s most recent victory was at the second-to-last race of the 2021 season in Saudi Arabia.
As the team looks ahead to the next race in Jeddah, the relationship between the two teammates and their setup choices continues to be a point of interest.