Mercedes and Red Bull are the two powerhouses of Formula One Motorsport as well as they are arch-rivals. Their rivalry dates back to when the turbo-hybrid era started. Toto Wolff joined Mercedes in 2013 as well as Lewis Hamilton, and the rest is history. Apparently, Red Bull had to wait a long time to taste the championship success again. From 2010 to 2013, it was Sebastian Vettel for Red Bull who was the undeniable champion. But Lewis Hamilton helped Mercedes start their success story, winning his second title in 2014.
Since 2014, it has been Mercedes dominating the grid-like no other team in the history of F1. Finally, in 2021 Max Verstappen defeated the seven-time champion in the 2021 driver’s championship to turn things around for Red Bull. Since then, the team has become unbeatable in the new cost cap era. In the new era where the teams have to build cars on limited budgets, the Austrian team has been showing others how it is done. However, Red Bull has also faced controversies regarding using the method of sandbagging. And looks like Mercedes driver George Russell has again come out to address the issue.
George Russell Is Suspicious About Red Bull Using Sandbagging
The governing body, FIA, puts a lot of pressure on teams and the drivers introducing new rules every now and then. Seemingly, it gets very difficult for teams to follow every new rule avoiding the traditional methods. Moreover, FIA has introduced more races to the F1 calendar to increase the popularity of the sport in more countries. A lot of drivers and teams are not too happy about it. As per the rules, the teams are not allowed to use more than four engines every season. Previously, the teams were allowed to use only three engines. However, the governing body changed it this year only a couple of Grands Prix ago.
Clearly, there are controversies spreading as to how Red Bull is managing so well in modern times. Mercedes driver George Russell has pointed out several times the Austrian team’s use of the sandbagging method. According to Russell, “Red Bull is sure scared to display their full potential. If they do, the governing body FIA might try to pull them down with new rules.” The Mercedes driver wonders if Christian Horner’s team has got more pace in their car. Moreover, if the Austrian team is not showing their true speed, then it is a shame for the sport. It is praise-worthy what the Milton-Keynes team is able to do with not even their full potential. Elsewhere, boss Horner has denied Russell’s claim. The Red Bull team principal replied, “Russell’s team knows better how to take advantage of the sandbagging method.” During the years of Mercedes’s dominance, there were controversies regarding the German team using the method of Sandbagging.
Russell Came Close To Perez But Still Too Far
There was a moment in the Miami Grand Prix when Russell thought he was too close to beat Sergio Perez. But his race engineer told him that it was Sargeant on the race track. Furthermore, George Russell was 30 seconds and 28 seconds behind Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez of the Milton Keynes team.
In the end, the Dutchman won the race after a close fight against his teammate. Eventually, Max Verstappen gained a healthy lead on the points table for the world championship. Furthermore, with another one-two finish, Red Bull gained an even bigger lead in the constructor’s championship.
