George Russell defended Mercedes’ F1 engine and revealed that he thought it was “equivalent” to Ferrari when he increased the output in the qualifying session.
Two rounds of the 2022 season have been completed, but the two teams, Aston Martin and Williams, who haven’t scored points until this season, both have Mercedes PUs.
There are eight cars equipped with Mercedes F1 including McLaren, but George Russell is the only one who reached qualifying Q3 in the F1 Saudi Arab GP, and only two Mercedes and Land Norris are in the top 10 in the final. Unable to finish within the ranks, Daniel Ricciardo was forced to retire.
On the other hand, cars equipped with Ferrari PU have made the most improvements since 2021, and both Alfa Romeo and Haas have made clear progress.
The Haas F1 Team remains in 5th place in the Constructors’ Ranking and Alpha is in 6th place, even though only one was running in the final in Jeddah.
Mercedes F1 has something to do to improve its straight performance, but George Russell doesn’t think his team is as late as some people think.
24-year-old George Russell said in Saturday’s qualifying in Jeddah his W13’s linear speed was on par with the Ferrari F1-75.
George Russell passed the qualifying in the top ten, but Lewis Hamilton struggled and is suffering his first Q1 defeat since 2017.
“I think everything looked better when I got the engine out in qualifying,” said George Russell.
“In terms of linear speed, it was relatively comparable to Ferrari.”
Red Bull and Alpha Tauri equipped with Honda’s power unit manufactured in Japan also seem to have impressive power.
But the benefits of Red Bull’s linear speed may outweigh the car’s philosophy over the engine, says George Russell.
“It’s true that Red Bull was running fewer wings than we were, and it seemed to be accelerating very fast in the middle of the straight,” explained George Briton.
“They seem to be doing a good job of reducing drag at faster speeds. Their pace on the straight at the moment is extraordinary and they do some work in all areas to speed up. There is a need”
Mercedes F1 hasn’t been able to catch up early in the season in a way never seen before in the hybrid era. Still, the team scored 38 points in the opening two rounds and is second in the Constructors’ Ranking.
George Russell is fourth and Lewis Hamilton is fifth in the drivers’ ranking.
“We’re definitely stuck in it,” explained George Russell.
“If we can’t find some improvements, there’s no way to get a fighting shot for the championship.”
“We definitely haven’t given up. We were the third best team in the first two races.”
“I don’t know what the championship looks like, but I think it’s still within reach if we continue this way in the next 5, 6, 7 and 8 races. Why we can’t overturn it. There is no ”
Category: Category: F1 / George Russell / Mercedes
