GEORGE RUSSELL HAS REVEALED A FRONT WING CHANGE ALMOST COST HIM A CHANCE TO ATTEMPT THE LAP THAT SAW HIM TAKE POLE POSITION FOR FORMULA 1'S LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX

George Russell has revealed a front wing change almost cost him the chance to attempt the lap that saw him take pole position for Formula 1‘s Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Mercedes completed a clean sweep in practice at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit, with Russell capitalising on the team’s resurgence to storm to his third pole this season.

The Briton, who topped the last practice session, held provisional pole with his opening run in Q3, but several drivers then toppled his benchmark on their second laps.

However, Russell managed to improve at the death to usurp Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, although he has disclosed that he was concerned he wouldn’t even get that chance.

Russell had touched the barrier on his initial attempt and a replacement front wing on his W15 saw him fret that he wouldn’t return to the track in time to begin his lap.

Yeah, incredibly satisfying, and especially knowing the car’s been so quick all weekend,” Russell told media including Motorsport Week.

“As a team, we’ve topped every single session. And nevertheless, when you get to Q3, you know what’s happened beforehand has no influence whatsoever.

“So the pressure kind of is ramped up. And, you know, it was a little bit touch and go for a moment because we had to change the front wing.

“I wasn’t sure if I was going to get the last lap. But then it was a super strong lap, especially the first two sectors, and just really, really pleased to secure the pole.”

Russell was heard telling his race engineer on the team radio that he wanted to go out as late as possible on his last run to capitalise on the evolving track conditions.

Asked how much the surface ramped up in the closing session, Russell replied: “Massively.

“I think probably between the very first car and the very last car who does their lap, it’s probably over a tenth.

“It’s probably the biggest track ramp of the whole season. So I wanted to put it all on the line.

“And, you know, it’s high risk. I knew that if there were no yellow flags, then we would, you know, we had the possibility to be on the front row.

“But ultimately, as well, I want to say thanks to the guys in the garage to get the front wing change so quick as well,

because, as I said, I touched the wall in the first run and we could have missed that last run altogether.”

George Russell almost missed out on the lap that took him to top spot in Las Vegas

Russell urges Mercedes to understand surprise pace

Mercedes’ renewed pace has come as a surprise based on the recent struggles that have seen the German marque register a single podium over the past eight races.

Russell has expressed that Mercedes must bid to understand the reason behind the side’s sudden upswing in competitiveness that has left him “scratching his head”.

“To be honest, it’s been a real surprise for all of us,” he admitted.

“It’s something we need to really review because this is an outlier circuit.

“We haven’t done anything out of the ordinary specifically for Vegas, but for whatever reason, the conditions, the layout, is playing in our favour.

“And I’m kind of scratching my head as to why. You know, we will ride with it for the time being.

“But as I said, if you’re quick in Vegas, it’s a bit of a one-off circuit. So we need to understand it.

“And of course, one of our other poles was in Canada as well, which is very cold, street circuit-esque conditions too, so there’s a small trend.”

Asked whether he would attribute Mercedes’ turnaround to the low track temperatures, Russell responded: “No, to be honest. No, I think there’s been no secret.

“We’ve been struggling with a bit of understeer this season and the track in Vegas, you’re sliding around quite a lot, and maybe that’s been a small factor that the understeer limitation has been less noticeable here.

“But there are certain corners where this car is performing so well, and especially in the first sector, the car feels absolutely on rails, especially through the third corner.

“And as I said, we need to nail down after the weekend and maybe even into the winter why it’s been working so good.”

- Taylor Powling

MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS

 

MERCEDES REVEAL UNUSUAL DETAIL BEHIND POWER UNIT CALL

Mercedes technical director James Allison has outlined why the team did not change Lewis Hamilton's power unit ahead of the United States Grand Prix, despite the British driver starting towards the back.

XPS

Mercedes technical director James Allison has explained why the team opted not to start Lewis Hamilton from the pit lane at the United States Grand Prix, nor change the power unit in the back of his W15.

After the British driver was eliminated in the first section of qualifying for the main race in Austin, many had suspected the Brackley team would strategically choose to start the seven-time F1 drivers' champion from the pits, as they did with team-mate George Russell.

Russell's car needed an overnight rebuild following his Q3 crash, which, as per the regulations, meant he could not take his earned grid position.

Mercedes, however, decided against set-up changes - or a power unit swap - for Hamilton, with the 39-year-old instead starting from P17.

Detailing the considerations that went into the call, Allison outlined the determining factors that led to Mercedes' decision.

"The answer is not straightforward," the 56-year-old said. "We talked about it, and it was an option to do what George did, to start from the pit lane having changed the setup on his car between qualifying and the race.

"We did not have any reason to think there was much wrong with Lewis' setup.

"He had his best bodywork on, he had the grid position we had, which is further up the road than starting from the pit lane, and so why not start where you have qualified even if it was not the place you wished you had qualified.

"That was uppermost in our mind with respect to setup changes."

Cost cap implications

Whilst Hamilton ultimately retired on the second lap of the race at the Circuit of the Americas, when he spun off, it could have been an opportune moment for Mercedes to introduce a new power unit into his available pool for the rest of the season.

However, Allison explained that there were financial implications to consider, with unnecessary engine changes subject to the cost cap, whereas required swaps - due to damage or breakage - are not.

"If you do put another engine in, you go to the back of the grid because of the grid place penalty, and start from the pit lane, but you do not get to just put another engine in and not pay for it financially," he stated.

"If your engine breaks because it has got a problem, then the way the rules are written is that you can have another power unit at that point and have it not impact your cost cap.

"But if you just say I want one because I want one, that is a different matter. You must pay for it, and that would not have been a good trade.

"The freshness of a new power unit would have lifted the lap times fractionally but the cost in cost cap hit would have not made that worth paying for."

- Samuel Coop

HAMILTON: NEW TYRE OFFSET COST SHOT OF BELGIAN GP FRONT ROW

The lack of a new tyre at the end of Belgian GP qualifying cost Hamilton a shot at the front row.

Lewis Hamilton reckons a front-row start would have been on the cards for Formula 1's Belgian Grand Prix if he had not been on a tyre offset against his rivals.

The Briton knew that the wet weather that impacted qualifying offered him and his Mercedes team a better chance of getting nearer the front, with the W15 not appearing well suited to the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Friday's dry running.

While happy to set the fourth fastest time in Q3, which will become third on the grid thanks to Max Verstappen's penalty, he reckons that more could have been possible.

"For sure I definitely can't complain," he said. "I think, when I looked at my theoretical time, I should have been second.

"But I think if I had had another tyre at the end, I think I could have [been]."

Hamilton says his pace was ultimately dictated by the timing of running new tyres, with him claiming that an aborted extra run in Q1 effectively meant he was always on the back foot with his available rubber choice throughout the remainder of the session.

"I'm always comfortable in these conditions and I do think we could have been further up if we got timing quite perfect in the last stint," he said.

"But we needed to get through Q1…We came in a bit late, then when I went back out, I couldn't do a lap because there was traffic into the last corner. So I didn't get to do that lap.

"That then kind of offsets you through the whole session because I only had one new set at the end."

Hamilton was knocked down the order by rivals electing to run late on with a new tyre, having capitalised on the track conditions unexpectedly drying.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff in particular reckoned that others had taken a big gamble to leave it so late and rely on the weather clearing.

And he went further than Hamilton in suggesting that he could have been at the front if the team had done the same as others.

Speaking to ServusTV, Wolff said: "The pace was good. We were out early and chose the conservative route. We could probably have started from pole position if we had done what Leclerc did, namely gambled on it being dry at the end, which worked out for him.

"They [Ferrari] weren't so good in the long runs yesterday in the dry, but of course you can never write off Leclerc.

"Today they were the only ones to go out with the new tyre. Verstappen also had one, but he was the only one of the others. They gambled on a dry finish and that worked out for them."

With Hamilton not convinced Mercedes has the pace potential it has had in recent races, he thinks it will be hard to hold on to his top-three slot.

"I think there's a slight chance we could maybe fight for a podium, but I think it will be really tough," he explained.

"We have McLarens behind us, a Red Bull ahead and another quick Red Bull that's going to come through. It's going to be tough. I think the Ferrari is also just there with us in performance."

- Jonathan Noble 

W15 | F1 MERCEDES-AMG

TOTO WOLFF ON ANTHONY DAVIDSON'S W15 FEEDBACK | THE TELEGRAM Davidson's deedback

MERCEDES-AMG | F1 W15

 

F1 MERCEDES-AMG MEME | W15