“You can only drive the car you’ve been given,” David Coulthard wants George Russell and Lewis Hamilton to help Mercedes develop a winning car

“You can only drive the car you’ve been given,” David Coulthard wants George Russell and Lewis Hamilton to help Mercedes develop a winning car

David Coulthard

Mercedes have gotten off to a shaky start in 2022. Both the drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, are struggling to find pace as they find themselves in the third-fastest car on the grid.

Ex-F1 driver David Coulthard believes that both the drivers need to help the team in making a championship-winning car. He told Sunday Mirror, “What’s actually happened is Ferrari and Red Bull have come flying out of the blocks and there are some who might judge that George’s first couple of races have not been up to standard. I wouldn’t agree with that. I think he’s handled the car and the situation well. You can only drive the car you’ve been given. His next job will be, along with Lewis Hamilton, to be the voice that enables his Mercedes team to develop a winning car.”

George Russell has gotten off to a decent start with Mercedes given the car situation at the Brackley-based outfit. He stands fourth in the championship with a P4 and a P5 finish. 

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David Coulthard praises George Russell

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton
George Russell and Lewis Hamilton

George Russell performed better than his teammate in Saudi Arabia, and that too by a big margin. David Coulthard in his praise said, “He was brilliant with Williams. It led to him being courted by Mercedes, as everyone knows. I’ve been super-impressed – George has performed in line with my expectations. For me, he’s a brilliant all-round package.

He added, “He has speed, he has excellent communication skills. He’s a modern version of a top professional racing driver. I thought that before the season started and I’ve seen nothing since to change my mind.”

It’s up to the engineers at Mercedes now how they’ll work on the feedback and data provided by the two British drivers. The team needs to make changes quickly as they have nothing to lose and everything would be needed to win.

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