George Russell, a driver for the Mercedes Formula 1 team, believes that there was an error in the cooling system of their 2024 car during the Bahrain Grand Prix. Despite starting in third position, Russell was unable to maintain his position and fell behind both Ferrari drivers due to engine overheating issues. This setback cost him valuable time and prevented him from showcasing the true potential of the car. Russell agrees with Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff that they need to analyze and understand what went wrong with the car’s packaging. According to Russell, the bodywork was too tight, and there was not enough allowance for proper cooling. This small oversight had a significant impact on their performance. However, Russell remains confident that this issue can be resolved before the upcoming race in Saudi Arabia.
Russell also argues that the brand’s initial laps showed a promising indication of its potential, although he believes that competing with Ferrari for a top-three finish was not realistic.
When asked about the confidence that Mercedes could gain from his strong start, Russell replied, “I believe we’ve had a very impressive first couple of laps. To be frank, it’s quite challenging to determine where our true pace would have landed today because we had to reduce the engine power and employ additional lift and coast techniques, which had an impact on the tires, resulting in a downward spiral. I think reaching the podium would have been just beyond our grasp, but we certainly could have put up a better fight.”
Russell had been cautious that his impressive performance in qualifying could have compromised his race, while Hamilton revealed that he had set up his car for longer periods on the track. However, Russell argues that he was under the impression that his car was more suited for optimizing race performance compared to his teammate, who finished 3.6 seconds behind.
“Many people have made this claim, but I honestly don’t know the major differences because as far as I know, the cars were fairly similar,” he stated. “And like I mentioned, I didn’t pay too much attention to his setup. Mine was actually more focused on the race than the setup he used. At least that was the case on Friday. However, the conditions changed today. I think it’s a critical aspect for everyone. And yes, we just need to review everything. But as I mentioned, our race was largely influenced today by the cooling issues.”
Despite qualifying being a closely contested event, Red Bull’s dominance continued as Max Verstappen achieved a commanding victory with a 22-second lead over teammate Sergio Perez. While Russell believes that Verstappen is certain to defend his title, he suspects that it is premature to suggest that Red Bull’s advantage is greater than it was last season.
“Well, at least for Lewis and me, we definitely have a much better car this year. One that I believe we can build upon,” he explained. “Red Bull has always been strong here. So has Ferrari. I would say this track has been a bit challenging for us in recent years. Therefore, I think it’s too early to make a definitive statement, but undoubtedly, Max is the favorite. I don’t think anyone will be challenging him for the championship this year, but I hope there will be some competitors vying for victories here and there.”