MIAMI — When Mercedes arrived in Florida for the 2024 Method 1 Miami Grand Prix, the group introduced with them some upgrades that they hoped would enhance the efficiency of the W15.
However following Saturday’s qualifying session for the Miami Grand Prix, that noticed George Russell qualify seventh and teammate Lewis Hamilton simply behind him in eighth, Russell conceded that the group continues to be looking for solutions.
“I feel we have now to just accept as a group, P7, P8 is the place we’re,” stated Russell to the media, together with SB Nation, following qualifying. “I feel it’s it’s fairly clear now what adjustments we have to make to the automobile to enhance it.”
The motive force then articulated the problems that the group has been coping with the previous two seasons, describing an effort that has seen Mercedes swing from one try at a solution, to a different.
“, we had sure issues final 12 months,” continued Russell. “The group did a lot work to to rectify these issues. And I feel we most likely overcompensated and gone too far on the different excessive. So I feel it’s no shock we discovered ourselves on this place and, yeah, we have to attempt to make some adjustments.”
Ian Parkes, the sensible F1 analyst, then requested Russell to elaborate on the state of affairs at Mercedes, which the motive force did at size.
“The issues Lewis and I confronted final 12 months was with this form of spiteful rear finish, and now all of a sudden we’re struggling to show the automobile at its low pace corners, and it’s the entrance [end] That’s that’s form of washing out,” described Russell. “So I feel we’ve simply gone too far in within the different course, and we have to type of discover a midway home from what we had final 12 months and the place we ended up proper now.”
Russell then admitted that change won’t come in a single day, and sadly for Mercedes, the clock is ticking.
“However I feel the the truth of that one,” continued the motive force. “If you carry an improve to the automobile, it’s obtained to be, , bodily drawn out, put within the wind tunnel, , manufactured, after which delivered to the automobile.
“So it’s not like one thing might be created in a single day and right here tomorrow, , you’re most likely taking a look at it for a few weeks and, a few races time, probably.”
When requested if there was a time-frame the group was eying when it comes to unlocking the potential of the W15 — or maybe extra precisely fixing their present points — Russell couldn’t provide one, however did discover a constructive viewpoint.
“I wouldn’t have the ability to provide you with a a time-frame, to be trustworthy, however it’s constructive that we see why we’re struggling versus [being lost]. I don’t assume we’re misplaced,” described Russell. “We all know we’ve obtained an issue with the automobile, and we all know a transparent course that we have to go.”
Russell then ended his session on a practical word.
“I feel we have now to handle our expectations and never lose our spirits as a result of that is the race automobile that we have now. We’re not all of a sudden going to reach on the subsequent race and be preventing for pole place,” continued Russell. “As laborious as we work, as a lot as we might love for that to occur proper now, we’re the fourth quickest group on a Saturday afternoon and, , within the midst of a 3rd quickest group on a Sunday afternoon. That’s the truth, and we have to construct from it.”
And with that, Russell departed. A driver — and a group — nonetheless looking for the answer.
