Russell DISMISSES Hamilton claims over Mercedes W14 car design

George Russell has dismissed the idea that drivers play a key role in the successful design of a Formula 1 car, despite Lewis Hamilton claiming that Mercedes did not listen to his input over the current W14.

Mercedes have struggled to keep pace with Red Bull and Aston Martin during this season's world championship.

The Silver Arrows are already 130 points off Red Bull in the constructors' standings after just six races, with the design of the W14 taking the brunt of the criticism for Mercedes' poor performance.

READ MORE: Mercedes ANNOUNCE ‘many more’ upgrades for W14 ahead of Spanish Grand Prix

The whole team are doing everything they can to turn their fortunes around, but Russell believes that the drivers can only do so much to help make the car better - a differing view to that of his team-mate Hamilton.

“Every single race and every time we drive on track, we’re giving our feedback on what we need from the car and what needs to be improved,” he said (via Motorsport Week).

“And we’ll go back – every driver does more or less on the simulator, and that is a really useful tool to develop these cars. I’m trying to put as much effort as possible on the sim to help in that regard.

“But at the end of the day, it comes down to the bright and intelligent designers and engineers to deliver the goods with the direction that between Lewis and I, and the main engineers, have set out and what we need to deliver.

“But I think this perception of drivers being the key instrument of developing and making or breaking a car is probably not necessarily true. And the engineers, and the aerodynamicists probably don’t get enough recognition in this regard, because they’re the brilliance behind the job.”

'Hamilton: 'I know what a car needs'

However, back in March Hamilton took issue with the design process of the W14 after he claimed that the team did not take his input on board.

"Last year, I told them the issues that are with the car,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live's Chequered Flag podcast. “I've driven so many cars in my life, so I know what a car needs, I know what a car doesn't need.

"And I think it's really about accountability, it's about owning up and saying 'yeah, you know what, we didn't listen to you, it's not where it needs to be and we've got to work'.

"We've got to look into the balance through the corners, look at all the weak points and just huddle up as a team, that's what we do. We're still multi-world champions, you know?

“It's just they haven't got it right this time, they didn't get it right last year, but that doesn't mean we can't get it right moving forwards."

READ MORE: Mercedes ECSTATIC with new Red Bull info after Monaco Grand Prix

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