George Russell claims banning F1 tire blankets is ‘borderline dangerous’

George Russell wants F1 to look at the various tire blankets available in the market.

George Russell claims banning F1 tire blankets is ‘borderline dangerous’

George Russell (Via IMAGO)

Formula 1 has gone through a plethora of changes in its various aspects in the last few years. While the change train is stagnant for the time being, there are quite a few pipeline changes that will be implemented in the upcoming years of the sport. One of those potential changes is the removal of tire blankets, and Mercedes driver George Russell is not a huge fan of it.

George Russell has been making his trade at the pinnacle of motor racing for several years and is, thus, aware of the important role tire blankets play in the modern era of racing. Formula 1 is looking to ban the tire blankets to support its push toward sustainability, but Russell feels racing without blankets could be extremely dangerous.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHvIzke7Dio

While shedding light on the same, he said, as reported by racingnews365, “A number of drivers feel like it’s a very difficult task for the tire manufacturers to achieve. When you’ve got a 1,000 horsepower car with the downforce we have, to compete with no tire blankets [it’s] borderline dangerous. If we probably put that emphasis on making a more sustainable tire blanket, we could get a win-win.”

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He further added, “There is a more sustainable tire blanket out there, I think that’s being developed, and actually, the consumption that is used from these tire blankets is truly not a lot at all. So never say never, I’m sure blanket loss is something that we will see maybe in 10 years. But I think we’re a number of years away from it being viable.”

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George Russell has been second-best to Lewis Hamilton in 2023

While George Russell wants the F1 hierarchy to have a thorough look into all possible solutions around the tire-blankets situation, he has not been in the best of form during the ongoing 2023 F1 season. Moreover, Russell has been unable to keep pace with Lewis Hamilton and has struggled massively to go wheel to wheel with him.

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton (Credits: Planet F1)
George Russell (Credits: and Lewis Hamilton (Credits: Planet F1)

The ongoing campaign is seventeen rounds down, and the 25-year-old has only managed 115 points with a single podium finish. When it comes to his 7-time world champion teammate, he has amassed a brilliant 190 points with five podium finishes. The former needs to get his act together during the remaining six races this year.

The F1 extravaganza is returning this week for the Qatar Grand Prix at the famous Lusail International Circuit. Considering its track layout, it should suit the Mercedes W14 and it could prove to be the best opportunity for Russell to get his 2023 F1 season back on track. The upcoming event is also important from the point of view of Mercedes, keeping in view their delicate position in the Constructors standings.

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