Mercedes driver George Russell had a tough season up till now. He was not having a good time with W14 sans side pods. The car was not giving the Brackley team any hope. Albeit, it was clear that the engineers were able to reduce the porpoising issue to a great extent. However, they do not have enough pace to fight the front runners. Since the start of the 2021 season, Russell, along with the engineers, has been working hard to figure out where the car was having the most issues.
Finally, the team implemented the upgrades in Monaco Grand Prix. But it did not make much difference as Mercedes did not get a podium finish there. However, the Spanish Grand Prix came out as a real confidence booster for them. The team enjoyed their first double-podium finish. George Russell also gained his first podium of the season, finishing at P3 behind his teammate, Lewis Hamilton. Apparently, the results of the Spanish Grand Prix must boost the Mercedes team as it should warn the reigning champions and current leaders of a Mercedes comeback. On top of that, it is believed that more upgrades are in the pipeline for the Silver Arrows for the upcoming races.
George Russell Teases Rivals Of A Late Comeback With More Upgrades
Red Bull has won all the races so far. Max Verstappen won five, and teammate Sergio Perez won a couple. But the Austrian team will have close looks at what their arch-rivals are up to with their new upgrades. On the other hand, team Mercedes is all geared up to challenge the front runners more. George Russell recently claimed that more modifications are ready for the W14 car. The 25-year-old Mercedes racer also spoke with the Sky Sports F1 regarding hopes for the Silverstone race in July. He mentioned that they all are excited for Silverstone, as it is a home race for both of the Silver Arrows drivers. Russell further acknowledged that they have a couple of new upgrades coming at the Silverstone race.
The Mercedes driver also emphasized the need to stay in a good place mentally. He feels that the team should not get carried away with just one result. According to him, the engineers have done a remarkable job. However, he feels that Ferrari and Aston Martin underperformed a bit in Barcelona, Spain. Hence, the team is looking to build on the improvements from here on. George Russell also gave a teasing warning, perhaps, to Red Bull that the team is getting ready to challenge the leaders by the time they get to the end of the season. However, he very well knows that it is just a small step forward, and there is still a long way to go.
Mercedes Boss And Trackside Engineer Worry About The Canadian GP
Meanwhile, the Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and the trackside engineer, Andrew Shovlin, echoed their stress for the upcoming Canadian GP. As the boss stated, “The results of the Spanish Grand Prix were good for us. But the Canadian Grand Prix will provide a different challenge altogether.” Clearly, it is essential for the new upgrades to work in the Montreal track as well. Then the team will be able to assess how much improvement the car has actually gone through. This is because Mercedes generally have a pretty good record in Barcelona, Spain. Lewis Hamilton is a six-time winner of the Spanish Grand Prix. And this year also, he came close to winning but finished at P2 in the end.
