George Russell, the young and dynamic Mercedes driver, began the 2023 F1 season on a high. On many occasions, he outperformed his seven-time world-champion teammate, Lewis Hamilton. However, the tables turned completely once the Silver Arrows began to introduce upgrades. Since then, Russell has struggled and recorded a massive dip in performance.
During the recently concluded Dutch Grand Prix, George Russell qualified on the front row (P3). However, Mercedes’ strategic miscues and an unfortunate contact with Lando Norris ruined his race as he ended up P17, out of points. Meanwhile, prior to the Monza weekend, Russell addressed the issue and listed out reasons behind the dip in performance.
George Russell Blames Set Up Error For Recent Slump!
Mercedes driver George Russell has dropped to seventh place in the driver’s championship owing to recent slumps. Before the summer break, the British driver was quoted saying that he feels disconnected from the car and it’s not the same as it was at the start of the year. Russell is right, as the Silver Arrows introduced multiple upgrades to extract performance from the car. But unfortunately, it worked against George. However, he is not blaming the upgrades for his dip in performance. As per Russell’s analysis, the team got his setup wrong on multiple occasions as they were heading in the wrong direction. “This year, I overdid it sometimes, which led to some decline in performance,” admitted George Russell.
The British driver went on to add that his engineering team was too focused on the main race. Hence, the lapse in concentration in the qualifying session led to a loss of confidence, which in turn spoiled his main race. Moreover, the 25-year-old also blamed the setups, which were apparently headed in the wrong direction. Hence, after the break, his team changed the goalpost. From now on, the team will focus on finishing on a high in qualifying, which will, in turn, help them gain confidence for the race. Mercedes apparently changed Russell’s setup and approach for Dutch GP, which yielded positive results in qualifying. Now, George finally feels that he has got back the rhythm. Russell will be back in action this week at the Monza weekend, where his goal would be to earn points for his team.
Mercedes’ Driver Lineup To Remain Unchanged Until 2025!
Meanwhile, Mercedes have come up with the most awaited announcement. On Thursday, the team officially extended Lewis Hamilton and George Russell’s contract until the end of the 2025 season. The duo will continue to fight together for two more years. In a social media post, the British driver expressed his delight and said that Silver Arrows has been his home ever since he joined their junior program back in 2017.
Further, George Russell expressed gratitude for the opportunities and trust Mercedes and team boss Toto Wolff have rewarded him. On the other hand, Lewis Hamilton will also look to complete his unfinished business in the next two years. His ultimate goal would be to add the eight-driver’s championship to his trophy rack before calling it quits.
