Mercedes struggled to compete with front-runners Crimson Bull and Ferrari by the primary half of the 2022 season as a consequence of a recurring bouncing drawback with the W13 automobile.
However it has just lately loved an uplift in kind, ending on the rostrum in every of the final six races, in addition to getting each Russell and team-mate Lewis Hamilton into the highest three in France and Hungary.
In Hungary, Russell scored his maiden F1 pole place and lead the early a part of the race, earlier than finally ending third behind Crimson Bull race-winner Max Verstappen and runner-up Hamilton.
Requested by Autosport if the latest enchancment in kind was sufficient to justify sticking with the present automobile idea for the remainder of the 12 months, Russell stated he doubted a change would have a big impact.
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“I do not suppose altering automobile idea goes to make us go any quicker, possibly the opposite to be trustworthy,” Russell stated after the race in Hungary.
“Generally you’ve simply bought to stay to the method and carry on pushing.
“And that is tough to do while you’re off the tempo and issues aren’t going your approach. However personally, I imagine in each single individual inside our group, and I feel we’re making large progress in the meanwhile.
George Russell, Mercedes-AMG, talks to a colleague within the group’s storage
Picture by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images
“We noticed with the job we did [in qualifying], you noticed with the tempo that each of us confirmed [in the race].
“Firstly of the season we have been ending races a minute behind first place. The final two races we’ve been inside 10 seconds, so I feel it is positively getting in the fitting path.”
Whereas many groups have opted to change automobile idea and observe both Crimson Bull or Ferrari’s strategy, Mercedes has caught with its slim sidepod design that turned heads in pre-season testing.
The group has beforehand stated it doubted ditching the idea would change its degree of competitiveness this 12 months, though it’s “mixtures of various ideas” for subsequent 12 months.
Mercedes F1 chief Toto Wolff felt the observe struggles the group confronted in France and Hungary had helped it discover the fitting path with the automobile, permitting it to be extra aggressive.
“It was a tough weekend total, as a result of the struggling of Friday [in Hungary] was simply large once we did not actually know which path to take a look at,” Wolff stated.
“Possibly getting it so incorrect on Friday was useful in getting it very proper, virtually utterly proper, on Sunday.
“We’ve got plenty of knowledge to take a look at, plenty of positives from the final weekend in France and right here [in Hungary] and to construct on for the second half of the season.”
Further reporting by Matt Kew
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