George Russell up close in action
Chasing performance, and quickly, George Russell thinks Mercedes have “perhaps” made too many changes in the ground-effect aerodynamic era – and with the W15 they’ve gone “too far”.
The W13 from Mercedes took everyone by surprise in 2022 when Formula 1 introduced ground-effect aerodynamic cars to the grid. The Brackley team cleverly designed their car, called the zero-pod, by nearly eliminating the sidepods.
‘Perhaps we changed a couple of times too many…’
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher
However, the team quickly shifted between different strategies, searching for solutions. They believed they were heading in the right direction after Russell’s victory in the Brazilian Grand Prix that year.
Nevertheless, as F1 2023 commenced, it became apparent to all that they were not up to par. Consequently, the team decided to abandon the zero-pods, modify the suspension, and essentially patch up the W14 until they had the opportunity to create a completely new car.
The team had high expectations for the heavily revised car, the W15, which arrived this season. However, despite its reconfigured sidepod shape, pushrod rear suspension, and altered cockpit position, the desired results have not been achieved.
Neither Russell nor Lewis Hamilton have a Grand Prix podium so far this year with Mercedes scoring just 64 points in six races, putting them 175 points behind championship leaders Red Bull.
Russell concedes that perhaps they have exceeded their limits.
He informed the media, including PlanetF1.com, prior to the Imola GP that it was evident two years ago that they did not commence on the correct path.
“We have made several track changes throughout the past two seasons in an attempt to discover a path that we can further develop.”
Maybe we changed our approach a few too many times, possibly. We’ve been striving to discover growth strategies that will yield significant improvements rapidly.
“And perhaps, it’s simply not possible when considering how these individuals have been continuously enhancing their platform, demonstrating exceptional progress.”
“We possess a distinct trajectory. It is evident that we have exceeded the modifications made to this vehicle, veering excessively in the opposite direction. Therefore, we simply need to readjust slightly and locate a harmonious balance.”
“If achieving success and optimal performance were effortless, everyone would be experiencing it, but as we have reiterated multiple times, it requires effort and dedication.”
“We’re up against numerous exceptional teams, but all we need to do is find the key step that will propel us into the competition with the leading guys ahead of us.”
More on Mercedes’ 2024 struggles
Lewis Hamilton ‘has made himself a victim’ with Mercedes W15 set-up experiments
Mercedes ‘still lost’ with pundit placing team ‘not in a good spot still’ despite upgrades
The British driver, currently holding the seventh position in the Drivers’ standings, expresses gratitude for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix this weekend as it follows the traditional format. This is especially beneficial for Mercedes as they require the additional practice session to test their new components.
In Miami, the team enhanced the W15 and now, additional new parts are set to arrive at Imola.
Russell expressed, “In my opinion, this has arrived at an incredibly opportune moment for us.”
In my personal opinion, I have been enjoying the Sprint race weekend. However, it has been challenging to optimize my car and conduct tests with only one practice session in the past two race weekends. It has been over a month since the last conventional race weekend, which allowed ample time for testing. As a result, we have been slightly disadvantaged in our preparations.
“However, our current situation can be attributed to a possible lack of understanding earlier in the year. As a result, we are eagerly looking forward to returning to a typical weekend.”
Read next: Significant rear wing change for Ferrari catches the eye in Imola paddock
