Mercedes’ young driver, George Russell, shared an update on the W14’s recent developments post promising results at the Australian Grand Prix.
After a horror show in 2022, Mercedes decided to stick with the W13 car concept and unveiled W14 accordingly. However, the anticipation doused quickly as the car struggled with pace during the test run in Bahrain and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The team struggled to cope with a flying Rebull, and even Aston Martin for that matter, throughout the season so far.
However, the recently concluded Australian Grand Prix brought much-needed relief to the Brackley-based team. Lewis Hamilton scored his first podium of the season and finished second behind Max Verstappen. Meanwhile, his teammate, George Russell, has shared an update that might just bring smiles to the fans and also raise their hopes for the rest of the season.
George Russell Elated With The W14’s Recent Performance
Mercedes’ pace looked much improved during the Australian Grand Prix. While the Redbulls are still way far from their reach, they certainly closed the cap to the second-best team of the season, Aston Martin. After Lewis Hamilton‘s podium finish in Melbourne, the team moved to P3 in the constructors’ championship. Meanwhile, ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the Silver Arrows are making significant developments to the car, and Geroge Russell, the team’s young driver, has confirmed a positive outcome.
George Russell addressed the media and said the car has been making much more gains in the past few weeks than it ever did in the whole winter break. While he refused to share many details, Russell did confirm that earlier, the team chose the wrong direction to head on. But after the initial disaster, they are back on track in the right direction. Moreover, Mercedes Chief Technical Officer James Allison backed Russell’s statement. He added the team had felt a sense of satisfaction since the positive results at Melbourne. However, it remains to be seen if Mercedes can actually close the gap to Redbull, who looks poised to retain the driver as well as constructors championship.
Russell Escapes Grid Penalty For The Azerbaijan Grand Prix
After a disastrous end to the Australian Grand Prix, Mercedes driver George Russell will have a new power unit for the upcoming Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Apparently, an engine failure set the Briton’s car in flames, which eventually led to his early retirement. However, he will escape the costly 10-place grid penalty as it’s the only second power unit of the season for George.
It is worth noting that the threat is not yet over for George Russell. Baku is a street track. On top of that, the season’s first sprint race will take place on the same track. Hence, the Mercedes and the Briton will have to take extreme precautions to avoid any further damage. Engine reliability has been an issue with the majority of the teams this season, with Charles Leclerc serving the grid penalty in just the third race of the calendar. Hence, Baku might bring nightmares to a lot of people this year.
