George Russell, a British driver for Mercedes AMG F1, expressed his frustration with the team’s 2024 Formula 1 car during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix qualifying session. Russell believes that the car is hitting the ground too hard at high speeds, which led to his costly mistake towards the end of qualifying. Despite showing promising results in practice sessions, Russell dropped from fourth to seventh place due to his error on the final run. He emphasized the importance of understanding why the car’s performance has regressed in crucial moments, referencing previous instances in Bahrain where they faced similar challenges. Russell’s teammate, Lewis Hamilton, also faced difficulties with the rear end of his car throughout the weekend but made setup changes that did not contribute to their overall troubles. Russell attributed his own struggles to the car bouncing and hitting the ground during high-speed corners, causing him to lose control. He suggested that the team needs to anticipate these challenges and make adjustments accordingly.
Mercedes was one of the teams most affected by the unexpected bouncing phenomenon when the new ground effect cars were introduced in 2022. Russell acknowledges that in order to improve performance, Mercedes may have to compromise on running their redesigned car closer to the ground and focus on achieving a more compliant foundation. He believes that they need to find a better balance between chasing downforce and minimizing the negative effects of bouncing. Despite showing strong pace at times, there have been instances where their performance has declined. Russell remains optimistic about Mercedes’ race pace and believes they can surpass Aston Martin and McLaren. However, he acknowledges that the increased turbulence when following another car could hinder their progress in overtaking. Russell is confident that Mercedes has resolved the engine cooling concerns that affected them in the Bahrain Grand Prix, but they are still investigating why the issue had such a significant impact.