F1 News: George Russell Raises Dirty Air Complaints - 'Cars Are Definitely Harder To Follow'

Author:
Saajan Jogia
Apr 10, 2024

During the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, Mercedes driver George Russell raised concerns about helmet turbulence caused by the dirty air problem generated by the 2024 ground-effect cars.

Key Takeaways:

Mercedes driver George Russell raises concerns about helmet turbulence caused by dirty air from 2024 ground-effect cars during the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.
Russell highlights the difficulty of closely pursuing other cars due to the recent emergence of this issue, impacting driver comfort and making following cars harder.
Despite struggles with the Mercedes W15 F1 car, Russell managed to finish within the points in P7 at Suzuka, although he faced scrutiny from the FIA for slight contact with Oscar Piastri's McLaren during the race.

undefined — Jun 18, 2023; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Mercedes driver George Russell (GBR) parades and salutes the

David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports

As teams strive to maximize performance from their title contenders, the prominence of the dirty air they generate becomes increasingly evident. Russell emphasizes that his recent issue adds complexity to the challenge of closely pursuing other cars, making it more difficult for drivers to maintain proximity on the track. When Motorsport.com asked him about the issue, here's what the British driver had to say:

"It's been a bit of a theme this year.

"But I have had no problem with helmets in practice and qualifying, and then as soon as we get to the race with all the turbulence and cars around there's lots of buffeting and struggling a bit in this regard.

"The cars are definitely harder to follow recently than they have been in the past."

The Mercedes driver is yet to score a podium this season since the team seems to be struggling with its W15 F1 car, which suffers from 'fundamental issues' despite being built as an entirely new car over the winter break.

Early in the season, Russell complained about bouncing problems on the W15, but in Suzuka, he reported steering vibration that came out of nowhere. He added:

"Yeah, I'm not too sure where that came from.

"There may be a small flat spot, I just need to assess it."

While Russell finished within the points in P7 after passing McLaren's Oscar Piastri in the later stages of the Grand Prix, he was investigated by the FIA for making slight contact with the MCL38. Fortunately for him, he didn't attract any penalties. He said:

"It was a good race, a good battle.

"Obviously, I had a little bit of a late lunge on him.

"Felt like I gave him enough room, but made a bit of contact at the apex. I was a bit surprised to see him go straight on, but at the end, I managed to pass him away."