Mercedes ‘troubled’? George Russell on F1 form ahead of Bahrain GP as Red Bull and Ferrari go ahead
“Red Bull looks super strong, Ferrari looks really tough … and we have some work to do”; George Russell ruled on Mercedes after the tough test, as David Croft said the team was “in trouble”; Watch this weekend’s Bahrain GP live on Sky Sports F1
By Matt Morlidge
Last updated: 3/14/22 11:28 am
Mercedes driver George Russell has echoed Lewis Hamilton’s comments claiming the Formula 1 world champions are a “step later” Red Bull and Ferrari are heading into the 2022 season with their “new” car. surname.
Meanwhile, Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft thinks the Silver Arrows are “in trouble” ahead of this weekend’s Bahrain GP.
Mercedes, with a record 8 straight constructors’ titles, so usually let their rivals follow at the start of the season but 2022’s huge rule and car changes seem to have made a flag pears in the works.
While the Silver Arrows offer eye-catching upgrades to the Bahrain test and are reliable on the track, they finished in second place ahead of Red Bull at the end of last season and also behind Ferrari, making Hamilton insists Mercedes will not be competing to win at the start of the campaign.
Mercedes also seemed to have been hit the hardest by the ‘porter’ phenomenon that abounded during testing – with both Hamilton and Russell tossing in a straight line as a result of the new aerodynamics.
“It’s definitely bouncing a lot – it’s not the funniest!” admitted Russell, who has suggested that Mercedes is indeed third in the dissection order.
“I don’t really care about comfort if the performance is there but for now the performance is not there, we seem to be one step behind our rivals,” said the young British driver. new team added.
“We have a lot of work to do between now and next week to get the hang of it because in all conditions Red Bull and Ferrari seem to be one step ahead of us.”
Red Bull brought a lot of pace to the final day of testing to show they were contenders for Bahrain, while Ferrari were the most stable team ahead of the season and looked like a strong car. But Russell believes Mercedes’ problems are more the reason for the deficit than the good performance of their rivals.
“I don’t think they’re special, I think we might not be as competitive as we’d like,” Russell said.
“I think Ferrari and Red Bull are in the natural position, their plain from midfield and back is probably right, we’re just a little further back than we would like.
“In the stands, Red Bull is looking extremely strong, Ferrari is looking really solid … and we have some work to do.”
Like Hamilton, Russell is also adamant that the new W13 car has race-winning potential.
“I believe the boys will get to the bottom of it,” he said. “I think there’s potential there, we just need to figure out how to unlock its performance.
“This is a long game, I believe the performance is somewhere… we just have to find it.”
‘Mercedes are struggling – but they’ll get it right’
Speaking on Ted’s Testing Notebook after the final day of competition, Crofty gave his voice to Mercedes and believes that while they shouldn’t be ignored, they could have given Red Bull and Ferrari an edge when they started. the beginning of a new era of F1.
“We are not wiping them out but they are in trouble,” said the Sky Sports F1 commentator.
“It’s a horrible car to drive, George and Lewis have said this and Lewis has said they are not qualified to win races since the start of this season.
“But they are eight-time assist champions in a row and they’re not without good reason.
“They’ll do it right, that’s just what advantage to give Red Bull or Ferrari while they fix it?
“If we race here this weekend, they won’t win. How much longer will Mercedes be in that position?”
Follow Bahrain GP live on Sky Sports F1
Sky Sports F1 is your home for every race this season and it all starts with the Bahrain GP this weekend.
We’ll be getting ready for the week before covering all of the live action from the Bahrain International Circuit, from the first practice session on Friday to the opening Grand Prix of the season on Sunday.
Sky Sports F1 experts Martin Brundle, David Croft, Damon Hill, Ted Kravitz, Simon Lazenby, Natalie Pinkham and Naomi Schiff will be in Bahrain to bring you unrivaled analysis and expertise.
In a 2022 twist, the drivers’ press conference will take place on Friday morning ahead of both practice and our live F1 Show, recap the action.
Saturday qualifying and Sunday race – both live at 3pm – will be followed by Ted’s Notebook, with the added boost of the Formula 2 and Formula 3 championships kicking off in Bahrain.
As always, you can also follow the action online and on the Sky Sports app.
A new era begins here. F1, finally, is back.
The Formula 1 season kicks off on Friday on Sky Sports F1 with the Bahrain GP. Sunday race starts at 3pm. Learn more and sign up.