George Russell hints at a potential upset in Singapore, suggesting even minor gains could turn the tide.
He was the unexpected guest in Baku! Indeed, George Russell finished on the podium in third place, having spent the entire race in fifth.
It was only due to the crash between Sergio Pérez and Carlos Sainz that the Mercedes F1 driver ascended to the podium… but he still managed to legitimately beat the likes of Max Verstappen or Lewis Hamilton, and with ease.
In Singapore, can George Russell aim for a second consecutive podium, this time on merit? He remains noncommittal…
“Obviously, Azerbaijan was very unique. Singapore is unique as well. And there are many circuits of this type on the calendar.”
“The competition is so tight at the front today. A tenth or two can make the difference, which is very exciting. We can spring a surprise.”
Last year, George Russell almost overtook Carlos Sainz at the front of the Singapore race, before losing control of his car.
Can Mercedes F1 perform just as well this year in the city-state?
“We were very strong here last year. The pace was really good in Singapore. So, I hope we can continue to deliver the same performance as last year and see where that takes us.”
“And we were very competitive in the second stint last week in Baku. We really surprised ourselves.”
“Here in Singapore, with this additional DRS zone, I hope the race will be slightly better. It certainly won’t make things worse. And maybe overtaking will be possible. So, it all depends on qualifying. The key is to qualify well on Saturday, which will set us up well for the race.”
Does George Russell still dwell on his crash in the final turns at Singapore last year, when he was aiming for victory?
“No, not really. I don’t think about it much. It’s part of racing, part of a street circuit. If you’re not 100% focused every lap, it’ll bite you. And it was a long race. I was on the last lap. I thought the race was over. And right behind me, Lando hit the wall. I hit the wall. And before I knew it, I was out of the race.”
“But that’s how it goes, and it’s not going to change my overall approach, how I tackle this weekend. You learn from these things.”
After impressing around the mid-season break, Mercedes F1 seems to be flagging a bit now. However, George Russell somewhat disagrees…
“The margins are so slim. We’ve still put in some good performances. You know, we qualified third at Monza, fourth at Zandvoort, and we were half a tenth off third place last week in Baku. We certainly lacked some performance and I made a mistake at the start in Monza, which significantly impacted the race outcome.”
“But that’s how it is right now. A small mistake and you find yourself three, four, five places lower in the standings than you probably would have been in other years.”
Singapore, an extreme challenge for drivers
If George Russell faltered in the last lap last year, it’s also because Singapore is the toughest race of the year. Or one of the toughest.
“Singapore and Qatar are by far the most physically demanding races. I think here, it’s a challenge because there are so many turns – quite relentless. But just with the humidity, you’re dripping sweat as soon as you step out, not to mention being locked in a race car for two hours.”
“Singapore, honestly, is probably more about the humidity than the heat. But when we’re driving these cars, the cockpits reach 50 degrees Celsius, and with the humidity, we almost lose four kilograms of fluids in an hour and a half of racing. It’s a good weight loss program.”
“And then we spent ten hours on the flight from Azerbaijan here on Monday, adjusting to the time zone change, etc. It’s not easy to prepare in the best possible way.”
Singapore is so challenging that drivers even prepare for it long in advance, continues George Russell.
“I start preparing for it, actually, a few months ahead. From the summer break. I resumed training the last week of the summer break, and it’s all about prepping for Singapore. You have to deal with something very different, which is the heat. In other sports, like football, when it’s very hot, there are hydration breaks every, I don’t know, 15 minutes, I guess, during the World Cup. Or once per half, you have a 15-minute break at halftime to rehydrate or do whatever you want. And we, obviously, are giving it our all in our fireproof clothing, in the car, for two hours. So it’s a real challenge.”
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Mercedes’ Russell Eyes Shock Win in Singapore Mercedes’ Russell Eyes Shock Win in Singapore
