George Russell finished third in Baku, his third podium of the season. After the race, the Mercedes driver commented on his result and talked about the problems related to the build-up of the car on the straights.
Q: George, what result did you expect before the start?
George Russell: Certainly not in third place. I think fifth position in terms of speed was our maximum. This result was the credit of the whole team, which was able to collect all the components at the right time. The hard work of everyone at the Brackley and Brixworth bases made it possible to create a reliable car and a reliable power plant. This allowed us to use the failures of our opponents to our advantage.
Q: How difficult was the weekend for Mercedes, taking into account the problems with the car?
George Russell: Actually the car was well under control, the balance was right. The only problem was the build-up on the straights and the associated impact on the asphalt, as the ground clearance is usually only a few millimeters. After the finish I feel the consequences of these blows to my back.
In any case, the team continues to work hard to increase the speed and find what will allow us to improve. As far as I know we won’t have any serious novelties in Canada, but maybe at Silverstone we’ll understand the situation better.
Q: You are only 17 points behind Charles Leclerc in the individual standings and Mercedes are only 38 points behind Ferrari. To you, such holes were a surprise?
George Russell: It is important to always earn points. This season we have a chance for points in every race. It doesn’t matter how fast your car is, but if you don’t earn points, your score won’t go up.
As I said, the team at the base have done an excellent job of making the car reliable, but we cannot continue to rely on the mistakes of others – we have to increase the speed. And that’s exactly what we’re aiming for.
Q: Is Mercedes planning to rethink the whole concept of the car as the build-up problem on the straights is not resolved? Or does the current one still have potential?
George Russell: I think we should have an open mind in everything and approach this issue logically and analytically. We are not refusing any option at this time.
Actually, the build-up this weekend was not too strong, we just lowered the car too low on the track because of the speed. We’re having trouble unleashing the car’s full potential, so we’re open and looking at different options.
Question Sunday morning it was announced that the teams had voted against changes to the regulations before the start of the season that would prevent the build-up of the car on the straights. What is your reaction to this news, bearing in mind that the drivers have turned to the FIA this weekend asking for the rollover issue to be resolved?
George Russell: The results of the vote are completely understandable, as each team has developed the car in accordance with the new regulations, and no one knew what consequences any new changes would have. As far as I know, we even voted against it.
Now we know what changes are needed. All 20 riders would have preferred a safer car, as we now have to fly between the walls at 300 km/h, struggling to keep the car in a straight line. I didn’t even see the information on the plate that the mechanics showed me – the build was so strong.
Formula 1 has the technology to solve the problem with the click of a finger. However, no one wants anyone to take advantage of this, so we are looking for a safer and easier solution.
Source: F1 News
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