Russell Cheers Mercedes' Stunning Race Lead

Mercedes Leads Again, Russell Lauds Turnaround

19/07/2024

Russell celebrates as Mercedes tops the last four races, marking a dramatic shift in their F1 performance.

George Russell will not face penalties for his engine failure in Great Britain, as the team withdrew him due to a lack of water, but the power unit was not damaged. The Mercedes F1 driver confirms the car will continue with this engine.

“Fortunately, the engine was saved and we will use it,” Russell assures. “I think we will use the same engine this weekend to be honest. But yes, it was just a water leak, the engine wasn’t getting enough water. The team realized this by the second or third lap of the race, temperatures were getting hotter and we were losing power.”

Russell is impressed by his team’s progress since the latest updates. The Brit remains optimistic but recognizes that performance can vary from race to race, depending on the tracks.

“It’s really exciting for all of us. If you had told us at the beginning of the year that we would go to Hungary fighting for three consecutive victories, we wouldn’t have believed it. We have led the last four races since the update, which is an incredible turnaround for us.”

“Everyone is very motivated. But there are no guarantees for the next two race weekends. I think in the last four, we undoubtedly had the fastest car in qualifying in two of them, and the fastest car in the race in two of them.”

“However, in Austria and Barcelona, we were 10 to 20 seconds behind Max and Lando, so we need to see where we stand this weekend. But, yes, we are very excited about what lies ahead.”

“Trying to win as many races as possible”

Russell has no hopes of shining in the championship and explains that the goal will be to win races: “Max is far ahead, and Lando is in a quite solid second position. But I think our goal for the rest of the year is to try to win as many races as possible.”

“Of course, we have significantly closed the gap. We had two very good races in the last four. But when you look closer, Max still won two of these races, finished second in another, and should have finished second in Austria.”

“These guys also haven’t had a bad run of performances, so we are undoubtedly closer than ever. We just need to see this race weekend, and at Spa, I think if we have two good race weekends here, we will be fast everywhere.”

The winner of the Austrian Grand Prix details why he and Lewis Hamilton are faster. Confidence is indeed back in the cockpits of the W15, thanks to these latest parts added.

“And I think the way the car behaves now, we both have a lot more confidence in the car, we can push it closer to its limits. Now, the tires feel better when we race, we can manage them more easily.”

“This slight improvement has turned into something significant in terms of lap time, because we can exploit the car more and that’s the most important thing, having that confidence in ourselves. The most important thing is that we have stayed united as a team. Everyone has pulled together.”

“There has been no major change in the organization of Mercedes. It’s important to recognize Toto’s merit in believing in his employees and giving them the chance to do what they do best. I think that’s what distinguishes this team from many others. So far, it seems we have done a very good job.”

Russell Cheers Mercedes' Stunning Race Lead

Russell Cheers Mercedes’ Stunning Race Lead Russell Cheers Mercedes’ Stunning Race Lead

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