The FIA has been operating at full throttle for the past few weeks. As the battle for the world title intensifies, the governing body must remain vigilant against any unauthorized activity. First, they received a complaint about an illegal McLaren Flexi wing. Then, Red Bull’s height-altering device was accused of breaching Parc Ferme. However, both teams were given a clean chit.
Since then, the FIA has increased its monitoring, assuring fair play. Recently, after the Austin GP, the authorities randomly chose George Russell’s F1 vehicle for a sudden inspection. After a thorough inspection, FIA has confirmed that the Mercedes vehicle cleared all the testing with flying colors.
Mercedes Clears The FIA Regular Check Without Any Difficulty
In addition to the usual post-race scrutineering, Formula 1’s governing body, the FIA, conducts random inspections on one car from the top ten finishers. This added scrutiny ensures compliance with technical regulations and promotes fair competition.
For George Russell, the FIA selected his Mercedes W15 for a closer examination of its internal combustion engine (ICE) following the race in Austin. The stewards’ report indicated that car number 63 was randomly chosen for more extensive physical inspections, specifically targeting the ICE water system, including the heat exchangers, standard pressure and temperature sensors, their wiring, and connections to the Standard Electronic Control Unit (SECU) and other components. After thorough checks, all inspected parts were confirmed to comply with the 2024 Formula One Technical Regulations, reassuring the team and fans about the integrity of Russell’s performance.
Mercedes brought an upgraded version of the W15 to the Circuit of the Americas (COTA). Still, George Russell found himself racing with a pre-summer break floor after crashing out during qualifying. This unfortunate incident forced him to switch, resulting in a pit lane start for the race. Despite this setback, Russell recovered to a commendable sixth place, expressing that he believed he could have contended for a podium finish if he had started higher up the grid.
George Russell Talks About Mercdes’ Austin Upgrade
Reflecting on the challenges of racing with a different specification of the W15, Russell admitted he had no expectations going into the event but was pleased with the car’s performance. He felt confident that the upgrades were functioning as intended, noting that the pace during the early laps was promising. Russell believed that had he started in a more favorable position, he would have been in the mix for a podium. However, he acknowledged that he struggled with tire management in the sprint race, which impacted his overall performance. Nonetheless, he highlighted the glimpses of strong pace exhibited by the car throughout the weekend, indicating a positive outlook for the team moving forward.