George Russell admits that Mercedes might have to consider a "different" approach in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix following their struggles in Saturday's Sprint. With Russell and teammate Lewis Hamilton having qualified in 11th and 13th, both were unable to make ground in the event. Russell held his position, whilst Hamilton slipped back one place to finish in 14th. As such, Russell hopes that the main Grand Prix on Sunday can offer the team better prospects, and that they can make the most of "variables" such as pit-stop strategies. "[We've] definitely got more opportunity because, [in the Sprint], everybody except two cars or three cars started on the same tyre, so you'll see some different choices there [in the race]," the Briton told media, including RacingNews365.com . "We'll have to probably do something different to our competitors to make a difference, because it was clear today [that] it wasn't straightforward to overtake on track."
Russell: Mercedes "overachieved" in opening races
Despite their difficult start to the 2022 season, Mercedes are currently just four points behind Red Bull in the Constructors' Championship, whilst Ferrari have a substantial lead at the top. However, Russell believes that the Silver Arrows may have achieved more than their car was capable of in the opening rounds of the campaign, and hopes that they can start to make their way forwards again. "We need to get back up to that P5, P6 position," he explained. "I think we've probably overachieved in the first few races with our package, and probably so far this weekend. We're below par, so we need to bounce back."
Problems with warm-up had an effect in Sprint
Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director at Mercedes, explained earlier in the weekend that the team had been affected by an issue with warm-up during Friday's qualifying. Russell says that this continued to be a problem in the Sprint, given the shortened length of the race. "In a situation like this weekend, where it's pretty cold out there, and we're racing at five o'clock in the evening, it doesn't make our life any easier," Russell commented. "And with the length of the race being only [21] laps long, everyone's just pushing flat out. "Hopefully it warms up tomorrow, [and] hopefully there's no rain on the horizon, and we can sort of show our pace a bit more."
Most read
