Russell doesn’t see Mercedes climbing up the rankings in Baku
Despite improvements made in Azerbaijan, George Russell believes that the Silver Arrows will not be better placed at the finish.
Arriving in early 2022 in the world champion team, George Russell was surely expecting better results at the beginning of this championship. Although he consistently manages to stay in the top 5, the British driver had hoped to fight for victories more quickly. However, the German team has still not found the solution to bring their car back to the top of the podium.
After another difficult weekend two weeks ago in Monaco, Mercedes has decided to make improvements to their car for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, but even with these new parts, George Russell remains modest: “I think the car will perform better, but I don’t think it will change our finishing position. At the moment, in Monaco, we were six tenths behind, and upon arriving in Baku, we will probably be three tenths behind the frontrunners, at best.”
His teammate Hamilton shares his words, as he has suffered greatly from bumps in Monaco: “I pray that the car doesn’t behave like it did in Monaco. It was the worst thing about the car so far because of the potholes. I can’t wait for these bumps to disappear – my teeth, my jaw constantly moving. I can’t stand shaking anymore. I don’t know if it was porpoising. I hope it wasn’t what we had in previous races.”
Mercedes is currently 3rd in the constructors’ championship and hopes to quickly catch up with Ferrari and Red Bull in terms of pace. Baku has historically been a favorable track for Mercedes, with 3 wins and 3 poles in Azerbaijani soil in 5 editions.
