George Russell, a British driver for Mercedes AMG F1, has attributed the team’s struggles with their 2024 Formula 1 car to an excessive attempt to address the issues they faced in the previous season. In the Miami Grand Prix, Mercedes had a disappointing performance, failing to score any points in the Sprint race and qualifying in the fourth row. Russell, who outperformed his teammate Lewis Hamilton, finished eight-tenths of a second behind the pole-sitter Max Verstappen, with both Ferraris and McLarens also ahead of the Mercedes cars. Despite this, Russell believes that Mercedes should acknowledge their current position and hopes to be more competitive in the upcoming race. He expressed confidence that the team will make progress and close the gap to their rivals.
Mercedes unveiled a much-needed upgrade package over the weekend, which team principal Toto Wolff had previously hyped as a significant step forward during his remarks in China. However, George Russell has expressed doubts about the effectiveness of the changes, stating that the stopwatch does not lie. He acknowledged that the team’s pursuit of a new car concept has caused them to veer too far in the opposite direction. Russell explained that the changes made since last year may have overcompensated for previous issues, resulting in new limitations for the team. He emphasized the need for rapid improvement and admitted that implementing solutions will require time.
Despite the challenges, Russell remains hopeful that Mercedes has a clear understanding of how to address the current problems. He believes that analyzing the data will provide insights into their current position, just as it did last year. However, he also acknowledged that the team may have gone to extremes in their efforts to rectify past issues, and now they need to find a more balanced approach. Russell highlighted the lengthy process involved in developing and implementing upgrades, which includes wind tunnel testing, design, and construction. He emphasized that progress cannot be expected overnight, especially when starting from a disadvantaged position. Russell concluded by stating that although everyone desires immediate progress, the reality of Formula 1 is that it takes time to achieve meaningful results.