George Russell has questioned the run plan of rival teams in Monaco ahead of a major rule change at the venue this weekend.
For the first time in F1 history, a mandatory two-stop strategy will be in play at the Monaco race weekend.
Friday marked the first day of practice around the historic circuit, with teams having just two sets of hard tyres at their disposal.
The white-walled compound was in use throughout the day, rendering them useless for the rest of the weekend. The decision to fit them sparked surprise from the Mercedes camp.
“It’s always intense around Monaco,” Russell told Sky F1. “The track isn't quite big enough for 20 F1 cars. As Yuki [Tsunpda] said, it was a traffic paradise around the track and that’s kind of how it was today.
“But it’s always amazing driving around here. We weren't very quick today.
“[Saturday] usually is the main day, but this weekend, with the mandated two stop, it will be interesting.
“You’ve seen some teams already throw away the hard tyre, which was a bit of a surprise to us.
“That sort of shows they're looking at a different plan to what we were expecting. So it'll be interesting.”
Viewed by others:
George Russell optimistic over race-day chances
Russell ended the practice session in 12th place, seven-tenths down on the fastest time set by Charles Leclerc.
While Russell is not counting himself out of the weekend, he suggested strategy, rather than track position, will play a crucial role in the outcome of Sunday's race.
“In terms of pure performance, it’s probably been our slowest Friday,” Russell reflected.
“We were bad here last year and we were only a tenth away from pole, or something.
“So all still to play for, and I'm still pretty excited to see how Sunday's going to pan out.
“So even if we're not in the top five or top three tomorrow, I still think there may be a bit of a chance on Sunday, especially for the first time being as it is this year. We'll keep our hope alive.”
Most read
In this article
Join the conversation!