George Russell has dismissed suggestions that Lewis Hamilton is finding greater success with the upgraded Mercedes W14, stating that his teammate “is still struggling” despite recent improvements in results.
Since the introduction of a major upgrade package in Monaco, Hamilton has outperformed Russell in qualifying at all four races. While Hamilton achieved consecutive podium finishes in Spain and Canada, Russell faced challenges, being eliminated in Q2 in Barcelona and crashing early in the race in Montreal.
Russell’s difficulties continued in Friday qualifying at the Austrian Grand Prix, where he could only manage 11th, while Hamilton secured a starting position of fifth for Sunday’s race.
There have been comparisons drawn between this season’s Mercedes inter-team battle and the pattern observed in 2022, when Russell started strongly but Hamilton eventually gained a slight pace advantage as the car improved throughout the campaign.
However, Russell believes that Hamilton’s recent improved results are masking his ongoing struggles with the car. Speaking after an eighth-place finish in Saturday’s sprint race at the Red Bull Ring, Russell addressed the notion of Hamilton’s increased comfort with the revised car.
“I don’t think so. It’s just one of those things, you sort of get into a bit of a groove, a bit of a rhythm,” Russell told Sky Sports F1. “Lewis is still struggling a lot with the car. I think it’s just more that I’ve taken a bit of a step backwards. I have some ideas why that is, but it’s fine details.”
Russell acknowledged that the past few races have been challenging for him personally, expressing his dissatisfaction with the car’s performance, especially in qualifying. However, he remains optimistic and is looking forward to the upcoming race at Silverstone as an opportunity for a fresh start and a chance to regain his form.
While struggling with the car in qualifying trim, Russell emphasized that Mercedes is not the only team facing difficulties. He pointed out Ferrari’s inability to replicate their strong Friday pace during Saturday’s qualifying session in Austria.
Russell attributed the challenges in qualifying to the difficulty of getting the tires into the optimal performance window. He highlighted the fine margins and the limitations of not being able to further analyze or test the tires due to Pirelli’s control over the product.
Despite his unimpressive grid position, Russell remains hopeful of a strong result in the Austrian Grand Prix and aims to finish in the top five.
The ongoing battle between Russell and Hamilton within the Mercedes team continues, with Russell striving to regain his previous strong form and Hamilton seeking to maintain his recent successes with the upgraded car.
