Mercedes did not have a great time in the last sprint race in Austria. Before coming to Austria, they had some momentum to fall back on after back-to-back podiums in the last two Grands Prix. The team had their best time of the year in Spain with a double podium. It was George Russell’s first and only podium so far this season. However, the seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton waited a few races to get back on the podium in Spain after his first podium this year in Australia. Later, he got a back-to-back podium with a P3 finish in Canada. Clearly, the Mercedes team did not expect the W14 car to perform well in Canada, but it did.
Hence, Team Mercedes was hoping for a similar result in the Austrian Grand Prix. But the sprint race at the Red Bull Ring circuit saw multiple issues with Mercedes but also other teams. The eight-time constructor champions found problems with their rear end as well as the tire. On the other hand, there were eight drivers, including Lewis Hamilton, who got penalties because of track limit violations after the checkered flag. However, Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez, and Charles Leclerc got no penalty and got podium finishes. On the other hand, other teams have complained about the sprint race format. But Mercedes driver, George Russell, gave ideas to make the format more interesting.
The 25-Year-Old Mercedes Driver Thinks Sprint Format Can Be Interesting
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton believes that earlier, these races were pretty enjoyable. However, gradually, these new rules and formats are destroying the sport. The seven-time champion has never supported the idea of a sprint format. He does not think it is enjoyable for the drivers and the fans. Moreover, his Mercedes teammate, George Russell, gave some ideas as to how can this sprint format gain prominence and become enjoyable. According to the 25-year-old Mercedes driver, this sprint format can start having small tires and a few more laps. Anyway, soft tires are mandatory.
Moreover, the tires and a few extra laps can improve the spectacle of this format for the F1 fans in the F1 sprint weekends. On top of that, the sprint weekends have increased two times more than the last season. There are six sprint races this year. But George Russell believes the sprint format can significantly improve with significant changes. First of all, the mandatory soft tires can spice things up. According to Russell, soft tires in dry climates can add a variable to tire management. Moreover, it would add more action and a few more laps of intense drama.
George Russell Credits The Rain To Make The Sprint Race Interesting In Austria
Moreover, George Russell told Sky Sports that he finds sprint races interesting, but it is too short. Moreover, the race would have become more professional without the rain in the Austrian Grand Prix. Adding to that, Russell mentioned that in normal weather conditions, the sprint race would become simply boring.
Russell advises the authorities to think about a bit more action. It would definitely help the format. However, after the race, with track limits violations, Russell’s teammate got 10 seconds penalty. Hence, the 25-year-old Mercedes driver managed to climb up to P7 above Hamilton at P8.