Rookie George Russell joined Mercedes back in 2021, hoping to win multiple championships. He showed promise while he was part of the Williams team. The Briton is definitely fast, and with the right car, he can win races. The current sixth-place holder in the 2023 season came to Mercedes hoping he would get the perfect car to win titles. However, everything went topsyturvy from the 2022 season on. Russell, in his debut season for the Silver Arrows, won his maiden Grand Prix in the Brazilian Grand Prix. However, Mercedes did not win any other race last year, and his teammate Lewis Hamilton had his first winless season.
The Brackley team could not figure out the right concept to build a fast car in the cost-cap era. George Russell also had a season of ups and downs so far. He already faced a couple of eliminations this season. Russell only had his only podium finish in the Spanish Grand Prix so far, as he finished at P3. On the other hand, the Red Bull driver of the same age as Russell is going on breaking records, one after the other. At Russell’s current stage, Max Verstappen was also in the same place. In his fourth F1 season, Verstappen was ready to win a championship but did not have the perfect car to get him there.
George Russell Is At The Same Place Where Max Verstappen Was In 4th F1 Season
George Russell recently quoted Max Verstappen that it does not make any sense to do nothing but sulk due to the unavailability of the right car. No driver can do much about the car not being fast enough. According to Russell, all they can do is concentrate on their own work and be team players, as life will present opportunities at the right time. However, the Mercedes driver knows that some people get more chances than others. But he wants to grab the opportunity when it comes his way with both hands.
Russell also takes inspiration from Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso. The 25-year-old driver believes that if Hamilton and Alonso can continue driving almost at 40, then he too has more than 15 years in Formula One. He has no lack of experience, as he will be more than 100 races old after the current season. On top of that, Russell is confident that he can beat anybody on the grid if he has a fast car. But the young Mercedes driver does not want to make things very complicated. He believes that it is essential to go back and do the basics right. According to George Russell, “Don’t overthink, don’t overwork, as it hinders the performance. Just do the simple things right. Find the right balance.”
Mercedes Must Provide Russell And Hamilton The Car To Win Races
Initially, the Mercedes team trusted the zero side pod concept that was the primary cause of the porpoising issue, which led to a lot of bouncing. Even though Mercedes has fixed a lot of porpoising issues since the start of the current season, the main change happened in the Monaco Grand Prix. The Brackley team introduced side pods and front along with floor suspensions. Mercedes can see the difference, but it is still not enough to help the drivers to win races.
