"We're not too sure how it will fall out"- Mercedes' George Russell doubtful about W13's performance at 2022 F1 Singapore GP

F1 Grand Prix of Hungary - Qualifying
George Russell of Mercedes at 2022 F1 Hungarian GP after winning pole (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

George Russell is glad races on low-downforce and high-speed track layouts such as Monza and Spa are over. The W13 struggled to keep up with Red Bull and Ferrari on such tracks.

Mercedes performs better on high-downforce tracks such as Zandvoort and Hungaroring. Therefore, they have high expectations coming into Singapore. However, George Russell thinks otherwise and is unsure of the track in Singapore. The bumpy track plays against the strength of the Mercedes, as it did at Monaco. He said,

"On paper, Singapore should suit our car, but when we look back at the street circuits of Monaco and Azerbaijan, our car doesn't fare too well over the bumps. So, we're not too sure how it will fall out."

Mercedes' driver also spoke about how the vision of the team is clear at the moment. They have identified their issues and are trying to fix them all before the race in Singapore. He said,

"But we need to keep on pushing, keep on improving the car. I’m pleased that we've got a clear direction we need to go [in] now.”

Mercedes are yet to win a race this year after new regulations kicked in, struggling all season long. At the beginning of the year, they had a major porpoising issue, which was fixed by the 2022 F1 Belgian GP. The speed of W13 is no match for Red Bull and Ferrari this year, which leaves the Silver Arrows behind.

Despite these issues, Mercedes have recorded eight podium finishes in the last nine races. They have been gradually closing the gap to the other two teams in terms of performance. The team is expected to win at least one race by the end of the year.

George Russell has had seven podium finishes this year alone. He is fourth in the championship, only seven points behind third-placed Sergio Perez. If Mercedes continue to consistently place on the podium, they can close the thirty-five-point gap to Ferrari.


George Russell can win the championship with a better car

George Russell is proving to the world why he is one of the highest rated talents in the world. He won the 2018 F2 World Championship and was promoted to F1.

The Briton drove for Williams for the next three years, pushing the low-performance car to the limit and placing it in Q3. He even scored a podium place in 2021.

George Russell replaced Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes and instantly start competing with the top runners. He is currently outperforming his teammate, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.

If Mercedes can fix their shortcomings before next season, Russell has shown he can fight for the championship.

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Edited by Aatiya Alim Qazi