George Russell and Lewis Hamilton look glum as they walk through the paddock — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 Superstars

Mercedes stars BEMOAN their place in 'no-man's land'

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell discuss their lack of pace compared to F1 frontrunners.

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Monday 20 May 2024 15:57

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton have stated that Mercedes are in ‘no-man’s land’ after a frustrating grand prix in Imola.

The German team recently brought upgrades to their car, alongside rivals Ferrari and Red Bull, and would have been hoping for improvements this weekend.

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Teams like McLaren have clearly made gains on Red Bull, with Lando Norris pressuring Max Verstappen for the win at the end of the race.

However, Mercedes were still a distance away from their closest competitors, finishing in sixth and seventh, with Hamilton ahead of Russell.

Mercedes failed to catch their rivals despite bringing upgrades

Have Mercedes’ upgrades helped the team?

Russell had been ahead of Hamilton for the majority of the race, until he pitted a second time with the seven-time champion staying out on a one-stop strategy.

Following the race, both Mercedes drivers provided a stark assessment of their performance in Imola, claiming that the team were in ‘no-man’s land’.

“P6 and a P7 at the end of the day as a team we scored one extra point. I lost my position to Lewis but I’m not going to sulk over losing a P6 to be honest,” Russell said to Sky Sports after the race.

“This is where we are right now a little bit in no-man’s land behind the Ferrari’s and the McLaren’s and ahead of the midfield.”