George Russell has echoed Lewis Hamilton’s sentiments by criticising the performance of the Mercedes car, despite a stern warning that speaking out could lead to his sacking.
George Russell follows Lewis Hamilton’s lead and slams Mercedes to leave F1 future in doubt
Both Russell, 26, and Hamilton, 39, have found it tough to match the speed of frontrunners Max Verstappen and Lando Norris in the F1 rankings. Hamilton hasn’t held back from voicing his frustrations about the vehicle, likening it to a “plank of wood” in a scathing review. Following suit, Russell has described the vehicle as more unpredictable than at any time since he started with the team in 2022.
Ex-F1 chief Guenther Steiner recently cautioned Russell, pointing out that Hamilton’s potential switch to Ferrari means he can afford to be outspoken without risking his spot. Steiner suggested that Russell, who hails from King’s Lynn, should tread carefully when it comes to publicly rebuking his team.
Ignoring these cautions, Russell didn’t hold back in airing his grievances. Russell stated: “In 2022, in the sort of porpoising era, without doubt that was far more unpleasant. But because of the nature of those cars, it was far harder to get close to the limit because you were literally jumping around every single corner, and you knew that it was going to bite you. The problem we’ve got with this car at the moment is you think it’s not going to bite you, and you can achieve a really great lap.
Then, suddenly nothing changes, or you feel nothing changes, and the following lap you lose all of that performance. Without a doubt this is probably the most inconsistent our performance has been as a team in probably forever.”
Before the summer break, Mercedes had a strong run of form, winning three out of four races. However, in the last seven races, they’ve only managed one podium finish and drivers Russell and Hamilton have slipped to sixth and seventh in the F1 standings.
Steiner, the former Haas boss, didn’t dispute Hamilton and Russell’s assessment of the car’s performance, acknowledging it’s currently lagging behind other teams. Yet, with Mercedes still undecided on their post-Hamilton future, Steiner believes Russell should keep his criticisms to himself.
Speaking on the Red Flag podcast, Steiner said: “The car is what it is. It’s not the best car, it’s the fourth best car at the moment on a good day. I think Lewis knowing that he’s leaving anyway, it’s easier to complain.
George has got all the interest to do to whatever is there to show that he’s the leader of the team for the future. He has to prove that, because he knows that because he knows that when his Mercedes contract is up, his seat is not 100 per-cent safe so he just tries to do his best, puts everything into it. And on the other side, Lewis doesn’t like the car and how it drives, knows that now in three races he’s not there anymore.”
Despite the speculation, George Russell remains unfazed regarding his future. His response to the media’s queries was clear: “It’s something we’ve not spoken about at all to be honest. I’ve been with this team for so so long, I’m managed by Mercedes, and we’ve always said we will be continuing together for the indefinite future. There’s a lot of conversations going on which are quite entertaining to read, but from my side, I’m not focused on any of that. I’m just focused on my driving.”
