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After another difficult qualifying session at the Miami Grand Prix, where Russell and teammate Lewis Hamilton could do no better than seventh and eighth on the grid, the team is now clear how far off the pace they are.
Although he is confident that his current W15 car has made some progress, Russell suggests that some of the challenges he faces are a consequence of going too far in solving previous problems.
Speaking to Sky Sports F1 about why Mercedes were stuck at the back of the chasing pack behind Red Bull, Russell said: “The fact is the clock doesn’t lie.
“We know that some of the changes we’ve made since the end of last year may have been overcompensated by some of the development stuff we’ve done.
“We have limitations with the car now, which are totally different to those we had 12 months ago.
“We’ve done an awful lot of work to fix the problems, and we’ve gone too far in that direction. So we know we have to improve, and we have to improve quickly.
Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images
Russell is confident Mercedes understands what it did wrong with its 2024 car, and now it’s a matter of getting new parts through the system to help put things right.
When asked if the team knew how to improve the car, Russell replied: “Yes, we definitely know how to do it.
“When we look at the data, we understand why we are in the position we are in now. Last year when we looked at the data, we understand why we were in the same position and I think, unfortunately, we probably overcompensated to fix last year’s problems.
“We’ve gone from one extreme to the other now, and we kind of have to go back and kind of end up in a halfway house.
“But the developments and upgrades take eight weeks to get to the car. You learn this problem [at] race one or race two, and you can’t just make those improvements to the next race.
“You have to put them in the wind tunnel. Someone has to design it. Someone has to draw it. Someone has to build it and then you’re halfway through the season.
“I think that’s why it’s so difficult, when you’re behind, to suddenly make progress. Everyone expects it tomorrow, and we want it tomorrow, believe me, but that’s the reality of F1. »
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W15
Photo by: Erik Junius
Tire sensitivities
Adding to Mercedes’ problems, Hamilton believes, is the fact that the team has failed to understand how to get the most out of the current tires.
He thinks that’s an explanation for why he and Russell can be so fast in some sessions and struggle in the next.
“Trying to make the tires work and provide the maximum potential throughout the lap is something I would say we struggle with,” said the seven-time world champion.
“We had this glimmer of hope in the second quarter, and then in the third quarter we were nowhere.”
He added: “For us to be eight tenths off is difficult. Obviously he’s fighting the Haas. I don’t know if that’s the real speed of our car or if it’s the tires.
“I think there’s a lot going on in these tires, and we’re just struggling. We haven’t been able to use them all year.
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