Mercedes’ seamless Las Vegas GP weekend met a small speedbump during FP3 when George Russell got impeded by Zhou Guanyu. Russell and his engineer immediately made some snarky comments on the team radio and Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft did not find the #63 driver’s complaints reasonable. Thankfully for Russell, he had someone in his corner.
Croft said, “I don’t wanna pick on George Russell here. If you have never ever held up anyone accidentally in your entire life as well, say that on the radio. But come on George.” He reasoned that Russell must have also impeded someone in his F1 career, so he could have cut Zhou some slack.
However, Karun Chandhok roasted the British commentator for judging Russell despite not having driven in F1 himself. “In your three-lap career in a Grand Prix car, I don’t think you had traffic,” the Indian former F1 driver said.
It was all in good spirits, though and it is unlikely that Croft was offended by what he said. Chandhok further justified the Mercedes driver’s frustration, suggesting it could have been due to “adrenaline.”
On top of that, Russell has been in a much better position this weekend, compared to the last few Grand Prix when he was nowhere near the front, and would not want such incidents to derail his progress. Both Mercedes cars have been at the sharp end of the grid throughout all the practice sessions, with Russell right behind teammate Lewis Hamilton when they finished 1-2 in FP1 on Thursday.
How has Mercedes found pace in Las Vegas?
Despite Zhou’s impeding, Russell had a strong FP3 session, topping the timesheets two-tenths ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. It appeared the British driver could be in contention for the pole and the Grand Prix win.
Practice in Vegas completed George finishes in P1 and Lewis P6
Next up, Qualifying in the Neon City pic.twitter.com/S2lD8Dqtfe
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) November 23, 2024
Lower temperatures could be the reason behind Mercedes’ newfound pace. With the night race weekend in Sin City, temperatures have dropped as low as 50°F, making it challenging for most teams to generate tire temperatures and achieve grip. However, not Mercedes.
The Silver Arrows have excelled in low ambient and track temperature conditions, which explained their sudden form in Vegas. It will be interesting to see if that changes when race pace comes into play.
