With this year\’s Formula championships in the closet, Mercedes is one of the most successful teams in Formula One. However, ever since the 2022 Formula One season began, Mercedes have been struggling in almost every Grand Prix. To add to the trouble, they have also been dealing with numerous technical problems like porpoising. And now, Mercedes George Russell has claimed that the team still needs to understand the big pace swing in F1. But what is the reason behind the such statement? Keep reading to find out.
Mercedes Still Don\’t Understand Pace Swing!
George Russell helped Mercedes finish fourth at the Belgian Grand Prix last weekend after Lewis Hamilton had to withdraw early due to damage sustained in a collision with Alpine\’s Fernando Alonso. After a tight final stint, Russell seemed poised to take the final podium spot away from Carlos Sainz of Ferrari. He finished just 2.3 seconds behind the Ferrari. Lately, Russell won his first pole position in Hungary and finished second to teammate Lewis Hamilton for a 2-3 finish, but only after the technicians moved the vehicles \”sideways\” due to poor performance during Friday practice.
The inconsistent performance of the W13 persisted into last weekend\’s Belgian GP, where George Russell was only tenth fastest in qualifying. Even though having the summer break to examine the data on the W13. The German team isn\’t having its finest season. But shortly before the summer break, they demonstrated what it could do during a few race weekends. In Belgium, the team struggled to win over the crowd. However, during the Dutch Grand Prix, it is anticipated that Mercedes would not start from the front row. Russell will therefore need to catch up to the opposition.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the 24-year-old British driver spoke with the press during the ongoing Dutch Grand Prix. During the conversation, George Russell mentioned that Mercedes is still trying to understand why they have such a big swing. He stated that their swing might be less in comparison to Red Bull. However, cars like Alpine and McLaren have been outperforming them in the season as well. According to the young Briton, the other outfits showed some pretty strong pace. Russell was disappointed when he could not finish in the third position as he thought he would. George thinks the team can do better if they are able to overcome their single-lap struggle.
\”Overtaking Should Be Easier,\” Says George Russell!
In the Dutch Grand Prix, the Zandvoort circle is known for making it quite difficult for the driver to overtake. However, George Russell and Max Verstappen believe that with new modifications in cars this year, overtaking might not be as difficult as it used to be. Russell, while talking to the press, commented, \”Overtaking should be easier. Felt a bit straightforward on the sim, but that might be different with a full tank of fuel. So we\’ll see.\”
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