F1 News: George Russell Blames Three In A Row 'High-Speed Circuits' For Mercedes' Poor Performance

Saajan Jogia | Apr 7, 2024

Japanese GP - Mercedes / Mercedes Press Image

Mercedes driver George Russell attributes Mercedes' underperformance this season to the "nature of the calendar". He suggests that the initial races have predominantly been held on high-speed circuits where the W15 F1 car struggles to shine, especially on sections with high-speed corners.

Key Takeaways:

• Mercedes driver George Russell attributes the team's underperformance in the 2024 season to the high-speed circuits dominating the early calendar, where the W15 F1 car struggles.
• Despite an impressive Free Practice session in Japan, Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell qualified seventh and ninth, respectively, with their positions swapped in the Grand Prix.
• The W15 car, built on a new concept, consistently finishes around P7 in races, lacking podium finishes due to a "fundamental issue" identified by team principal Toto Wolff on high-speed circuits visited so far.

Despite an impressive Free Practice session in Japan, Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Russell ended up qualifying seventh and ninth. In the Grand Prix, the positions were swapped as the former finished P9, whereas the latter secured P7.

Nov 17, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Mercedes AMG Petronas driver George Russell of Great Britain / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Though the car is said to have been based on an entirely new concept, the W15 has consistently delivered race finishes hovering around the P7 mark, regardless of the drivers' performance in qualifying. With four races ticked on the F1 calendar out of the 24, the Brackley outfit is yet to secure a podium finish.

Team principal Toto Wolff admitted that the team suffers from a "fundamental issue" on the 2024 car that limits it from going all out on high-speed circuits so far, such as Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Melbourne, and Japan. Russell highlights a similar concern, calling out the nature of the 2024 calendar that has all high-speed circuits lined up in the initial phase of the season. He told the media:

"I think we did a great job in Q1 and Q2 [at Suzuka] and pulled the laps together.

"But ultimately the car wasn't as competitive here as at other circuits and we knew that coming into the race weekend.

"We've had three circuits in a row now that have been high-speed circuits, and high-speed is our weakness. That is just the nature of the calendar.

"We saw we were much more competitive in Bahrain, so on the face of it, the result is not great."

Formula 1 heads to China's Shanghai International Circuit in two weeks, which features a blend of tight corners and high-speed bends. As a result, it cannot be predicted with certainty whether Mercedes would conclude the race with flying colors.

Japanese GP - Mercedes / Mercedes Press Image