Max Verstappen and George Russell’s explosive feud, sparked by accusations of bullying and culminating in a war of words, appears to have reached a temporary ceasefire ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Despite a tense pre-race atmosphere, the drivers have seemingly patched things up, at least temporarily, raising questions about the future of their rivalry.
Lewis Hamilton’s struggles continue as he qualifies seventh for the Qatar Grand Prix Sprint, openly admitting his lack of pace compared to teammate George Russell. The seven-time champion reflects on his performance and the challenges ahead.
George Russell topped the final practice session for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, with Mercedes showcasing impressive speed. Max Verstappen, aiming for his fourth consecutive title, improved his pace to finish fifth, setting up an exciting qualifying session and race.
George Russell believes Lewis Hamilton would have stayed with Mercedes if the team was performing well, citing the team’s strong future prospects and recent performance turnaround. Russell credits technical director James Allison for the improvement, and he is confident that Mercedes is now in a position to challenge for championships.
George Russell secured a dramatic victory at the Austrian Grand Prix after a late collision between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. Verstappen, who led for most of the race, finished fifth while Norris retired. Oscar Piastri took second place, and Carlos Sainz completed the podium.
Max Verstappen secured pole position for the Austrian Grand Prix, with Lando Norris alongside on the front row. George Russell qualified third for Mercedes, while Carlos Sainz will start fourth for Ferrari.
Mercedes technical director James Allison reveals the team’s recent performance surge in Formula One stems from a realization of a fundamental aerodynamic issue they’d overlooked. After struggling for much of the season, Mercedes has found a way to balance the car for both slow and fast corners, leading to a podium finish in Canada and renewed optimism for the rest of the season.
George Russell grabbed pole position for the Canadian Grand Prix after sharing the best lap time with Max Verstappen. Russell secured the edge due to setting his lap earlier in the qualifying session. Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Daniel Ricciardo, Fernando Alonso, and Lewis Hamilton followed in the top seven. Despite missing out on pole, Verstappen remained composed and satisfied with starting on the front row alongside Russell. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz had a disappointing qualifying, failing to make it into the top ten shootout.
Mercedes’ technical director James Allison has acknowledged that the team should have guided Lewis Hamilton towards a setup similar to his teammate George Russell for the Chinese Grand Prix. Hamilton’s qualifying session ended abruptly in Q1 due to an error at the hairpin, resulting in his first such elimination since the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Allison expressed that the team should have encouraged Hamilton to adopt a setup more like Russell’s, as it could have prevented the costly mistake. Mercedes also recognizes the need to improve the car’s handling to minimize uncharacteristic errors from its highly skilled drivers.
While Mercedes’ W15 car has shown glimpses of speed, it has also been inconsistent and temperamental. Team boss Toto Wolff highlights the challenges faced at Suzuka and China, where improvements in high-speed corners were offset by losses in low-speed sections. Despite efforts to optimize setups, Mercedes remains short of significant success. George Russell suggests that a focus on development rather than setup adjustments is crucial for future progress.
