George Russell acknowledges that Mercedes requires additional time to "refine" their troublesome upgrade package.
When your teammate is on the brink of clinching the Formula 1 World Championship, the last thing you want to acknowledge is that your team's latest multi-million-dollar upgrade package may not have hit the mark. However, as the F1 paddock gathers at the Circuit of the Americas for the United States Grand Prix, George Russell is being refreshingly candid about Mercedes' current situation.
During Thursday's media day in Austin, Russell was straightforward about the team's recent aerodynamic challenges. While the media buzzed about Kimi Antonelli possibly securing the title, Russell confessed that the engineering department is still trying to determine why their much-anticipated upgrades did not meet expectations.
The Malaysia misfire
The issue began earlier this month when Mercedes introduced a significant upgrade package at the Bahrain Grand Prix (in Malaysia). Instead of dominating the competition, the new components left the team puzzled over the car's balance.
"It's not really about me, so as a team, it's been an intriguing couple of races," Russell told the media. "We obviously introduced that big upgrade in Malaysia. It didn't perform as well as we had hoped."
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, George Russell, Mercedes
Rather than panicking and discarding the new carbon fiber components, Mercedes utilized the subsequent Singapore Grand Prix as an extensive, high-speed testing session to gather consecutive data on the setup.
"We then gathered really useful information in Singapore by doing the back-to-back runs, and we're confident that the upgrade is the right direction, but it just requires more time to refine the setup to maximize its potential," he elaborated.
The threat from Red Bull and McLaren
Mercedes certainly doesn’t have the luxury of time at this moment. While Antonelli is mathematically positioned at the forefront, the competition is closely pursuing them. Red Bull is gaining momentum late in the season, with Max Verstappen achieving commanding back-to-back victories in Malaysia and Singapore, while McLaren and Ferrari are consistently racking up points and bringing their own upgrades to Texas.
If Mercedes aims to secure the Constructors' championship comfortably and provide Russell with a car capable of competing for wins, it must unlock the setup potential of these new upgrades without delay. Fortunately for the Brackley team, the final Sprint weekend of the calendar recently wrapped up in Singapore. This means the US Grand Prix will follow a traditional race format, offering the team three full practice sessions to fine-tune the setup—a significant advantage for a team in dire need of track time to experiment with parts.
George Russell, Mercedes
"So we’re hopeful that we can regain our footing because right now Red Bull looks extremely strong. McLaren has also been very competitive in other races. Ferrari has upgrades as well, so we need to find that form again," the Brit remarked.
With three vital hours of free practice ahead of them in Austin, Mercedes has a prime opportunity to finally come to grips with its car.
"So yeah, heading into this weekend, let's see what we can achieve, try to get Mercedes back on top because it’s been a while, and let’s see what the future brings," Russell concluded.
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