George Russell may have used up all his luck in the Austrian GP because he suffered a heartbreaking outcome in the British GP. Russell could not finish his home race despite starting from pole and leading the race. Despite losing the lead, the Briton was still on course for a podium finish. However, he was asked to retire his car out of the blue. Mercedes’ technical director James Allison has shed some light on this heartbreaking outcome.
As seen in Mercedes’ debrief video on YouTube, Allison was asked to elaborate on Russell’s race-ending mechanical issue. He revealed, “I mean unfortunately we knew that we had an issue relatively early in the race so we were tracking this from the first stint.”
“We didn’t know that it was going to be terminal but it’s all linked to a leak that was in the water system that was causing the pressure to start to drift and ultimately when we stopped the car it was to protect the power unit so we knew that we were never going to finish the race.”
George Russell RETIRES from the British Grand Prix pic.twitter.com/Eqfz0TYMTW
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) July 7, 2024
So, even though the 26-year-old was out there giving his best, he was fighting a losing battle. His Mercedes crew knew all along but wanted to still give him a fighting chance. Sadly, the mechanical issue turned out to be terminal. However, the Brackley outfit still received a silver lining with Lewis Hamilton’s win. The seven-time champion showcased what the W15 is capable of without any issues.
Moreover, this recent uptick in performance and increased competitiveness with the rest isn’t a one-off. The Silver Arrows were arguably the third fastest since their front wing upgrades.
Now they’ve cemented their position with the back-to-back wins with an aim to move upwards. Continuous upgrades will help them achieve this goal and not only catch up but perhaps surpass their rivals.
Mercedes have been on a backfoot and have not been competitive for the past two years. However, ever since the recent upgrade package, the W15 has been running rampant. The car is still on the same level as its rivals but progress is evident. If they do completely eliminate the performance gap, Mercedes can aim for a championship in 2025.
