George Russell has dismissed that Mercedes’ recent dip in competitiveness should provide the team with cause for concern heading into the 2025 Formula 1 season.
Mercedes seemed to have gained a grasp on the current ground effect regulations at long last prior to the summer break when it notched three victories in four races.
However, the German marque has been unable to maintain that momentum since the campaign restarted as it has logged a single podium in the previous five rounds.
Mercedes boasted hope that a sizeable update package brought to the United States Grand Prix last weekend would inspire a return to the team’s earlier-season level.
But while the changes showcased promise in the opening sessions, both Russell and team-mage Lewis Hamilton endured high-speed spins at the penultimate corner.
Hamilton was quick to attribute his race-ending incident on the second lap to the upgrades, but Mercedes asserted that its woes were due to running the W15 too low.
With no more wholesale updates planned, Mercedes ensuring that its newest developments work as intended will prove integral in dictating the team’s 2025 direction.
Asked whether he is concerned that the eight-time Constructors’ Champions could be on the back foot going into next term, though, Russell denied that was the case.
“No, I don’t think that’s a fair assessment,” Russell responded to media including Motorsport Week ahead of this weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix.
“Because having had a few days to review everything from Austin, I think it’s fair to say we were sailing a bit too close to the wind with how we set our car up.
“We were setting it up really aggressive, really close to the ground, and it clearly bit Lewis and I over the course of Saturday and Sunday.
“But when we could get around the lap, we showed real signs of strong performance.
“I think this weekend in Mexico is going to be a good opportunity to see across the two cars.
“Obviously we only had one, we’ve only got one upgrade this weekend, and as I was the one who damaged it last week, Lewis got the choice and elected to use the new one.
“So that will be intriguing. But the sport is a bit difficult to understand at the moment.
“I don’t think anybody would have expected Ferrari’s performance last weekend, especially with the lack of upgrades they brought.”
Mercedes fluctuations a mental test
Meanwhile, Hamilton, who has endured a tough run since winning in Belgium in July, has conceded that Mercedes’ wild fluctuations have tested his mental resilience.
“It’s definitely a challenge for sure,” the seven-time F1 champion, who will move to Ferrari in 2025, expressed.
“Up until the last race, we’ve had a lot of confidence in the car, we’ve been improving and we’ve had our challenges.
“But generally George and I are more comfortable with throwing the car into corners and it’s there for you.
“Then we start the last weekend, nobody spins in Turn 3 because this is the easiest corner on the track, and I have a spin in Turn 3 in FP1,
George has a crash in qualifying, and I lose the rear end completely in the race. So, definitely something that was unexpected for the both of us.
“George did a great job on Sunday with the old package, I’m hoping that the package can be better this weekend, we’ll see.
“And yeah, it is frustrating, that’s the way it’s been, and we’re just trying to do the best job we can on the way out.”
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