Russell belief Mercedes will find 'killer key to perfection'
Russell belief Mercedes will find 'killer key to perfection'
George Russell has expressed belief Mercedes will find what he has described as the "killer key" to unlocking perfection in this year's troublesome W13.
Mercedes has been found wanting this year by the introduction of new aerodynamic regulations that look set to lead to the eight-time consecutive constructors' champions losing its vice-like grip on its dominance unless answers are quickly found.
Although 18 races still remain of a record-breaking season, time is fast running out on Mercedes to find solutions to the problems inherent in its car, with the team 62 and 56 points adrift respectively of pacesetters Ferrari and Red Bull.
Steps appeared to have been made across Friday practice at the recent Miami Grand Prix for which Mercedes introduced a new front and rear wing, only for the team to then take a wrong turn in pursuit of additional downforce.
Ahead of this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix, Russell can sense Mercedes is on the cusp of a breakthrough.
"We showed [on Friday in Miami] we have a fast car, there is a fast car there," said Russell. "I have total faith and confidence it is in there somewhere.
"We just need to understand how to unlock it. I think we can find chunks and chunks of lap time if we can just find that killer key to get it in that perfect spot.
"I am not sure if that will be the next race but the guys are working day and night back at the factory, and we all believe that we can.
"We have got to stick to our guns, keep pushing down this direction. It is going to be a number of races before we say we have to go a different way but I believe in them."
Mercedes seeking to build on 'flashes of true potential' in Miami
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff is hopeful the time since Miami results in his team making further strides toward the two main title protagonists. "During Friday practice [in Miami], the car showed flashes of its true potential," added Wolff.
"We continued experimenting with set-up, fitted some new components and that provided us answers and indications of which direction to go in. "A huge amount of hard work has been going on in the factories to unpick the data from Miami and turn it into improvements for Barcelona.
"Having run there in winter testing, albeit with a car that has evolved a lot since then, it will be a good place to correlate the information we have on the current car and we're hopeful we'll make another step forward. "The track itself is a good all-rounder, so it really puts every aspect of the car to the test. "In basketball terms, we head to Barcelona at the end of the first quarter of the game.
"We know that once we translate the learnings we've made into track performance, there's still a lot of the game left to play."
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
Vettel announces F1 return as FIA single Mercedes out for Miami checks - GPFans F1 Recap
- 2 hours ago
F1 team announce SHOCK signing weeks after rival departure
- 3 hours ago
Former team boss quizzed on role in Newey's Red Bull exit
- Yesterday 21:57
RB reveal STRIKING new livery ahead of Miami GP
- Yesterday 20:57
EXCLUSIVE: Insider claims F1 Academy and W Series couldn't co-exist
- Yesterday 19:57
Wolff delivers big verdict on Hamilton behaviour
- Yesterday 18:57
Related news
FIA slammed for 'ridiculous' Russell investigation
'Disaster waiting to happen': F1 star demands FIA safety OVERHAUL after terrifying crash
Russell reveals Alonso SNUB after post-crash meeting
Mercedes F1 star makes revelation about NEW driver
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860