George Russell labels Mercedes’ swing in performance ‘black magic’ after Azerbaijan GP
George Russell had a bit of a struggle in his Mercedes W15 during the 51-lap Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
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George Russell (Via: Imago)
Mercedes’ podium finish at the Azerbaijan GP was unexpected, given that George Russell started from fifth on the grid. Meanwhile, his teammate Lewis Hamilton had to begin from the pit lane after taking new power unit components. Russell’s W15 showcased impressive pace on hard tires, allowing him to surpass Max Verstappen. Additionally, a crash between Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz further helped him secure a third-place finish.
George Russell in a post-race interview was surprised and frustrated over how much car performance can vary from one race to another. He stated it’s not just a problem for Mercedes but it affects every team and driver.
Sometimes, a car performs very well, and other times it doesn’t, even though one small change was made. He described this inconsistency as “black magic” as it was hard to understand why such a difference was occurring.
It’s actually pretty infuriating that it changes this much and it’s not just Mercedes, it’s every team and every driver. One session you’re fast, the next you’re not and it’s only one thing that changes. It is black magic.George Russell told pitdebrief
The tires play a major role in every team’s performance and according to Russell, even the tire manufacturers seem to struggle with understanding how their tires actually work. He believed it’s important for everyone involved teams, drivers, and tire makers to have in-depth discussions on this topic.
I think even the people who make the tires don’t understand the tires but I think we all need probably serious conversations again about what’s going on.George Russell stated.
George Russell didn’t expect his W15 struggles in Baku
George Russell stated before the race, that Mercedes thought they might be able to finish in the top five. However, the way the race turned out was completely unexpected for everyone. During the initial laps, his W15 was much slower than the team had hoped. The Briton was about one and a half seconds slower per lap compared to Charles Leclerc, which made things feel quite disastrous for them.
Yeah, we thought we could probably fight for P5. But how the race unfolded, we definitely didn’t expect. We were really slow in the first stint. I was about one and a half seconds slower than Charles most laps. And it all felt pretty disastrous.George Russell explained.
Certainly, Russell’s slow pace at the start of the 51-lap race led Mercedes to believe that a podium finish was out of reach. However, an unexpected crash during the closing stages created an opportunity for the 26-year-old, allowing him to secure a surprising third-place finish.
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Gaurang Kadam
(535 Articles Published)