George Russell says his Mercedes crew will not know the place that tempo got here from on the Singapore Grand Prix after profitable fifth total within the second race of the season.
Mercedes gained in Canada in June, however was not anticipated to be significantly robust at excessive temperatures in Singapore. Nonetheless, after qualifying at pole place, Russell says he’ll management the race to beat Max Burstappen for greater than 5 seconds, making up for the sluggish crash on the similar venue in 2023.
“It is wonderful, particularly after it occurred a number of years in the past,” Russell mentioned. “It was a little bit of a missed alternative, however we have greater than made up for it right now. I am very grateful to the crew. They did an incredible job this weekend. I do not actually know the place this efficiency got here from, however I am actually glad.
“If I had been to create a listing of all of the races we thought we might win this 12 months, this may most likely be on the backside, so I feel we have to perceive tomorrow and Tuesday to grasp why performances can ship this by the point the season is coming.
In the hunt for Mercedes efficiency solutions, Russell famous some truck adjustments in comparison with 12 months in the past.
“I feel there’s much less tire overheating in comparison with what this 12 months has handed. I feel the vehicles have had an enormous overheating up to now, however among the corners have a brand new tarmac, so it’s kind of smoother,” he identified. “The tires look a bit extra sturdy this 12 months. It was all in a little bit of a very good window, nevertheless it was nonetheless a shock.”
Russell additionally believes {that a} key side of the race has been out of the road, with Crimson Bull actively beginning with mushy tires — in comparison with the remainder of the highest seven within the media — is trying to purchase observe place early.
“I truthfully thought that if Max jumped over me in flip 1, he would have gained the race as a result of overtaking was so difficult, so I assumed it was a sensible transfer from these guys.
“Rand is unquestionably the quickest man on the market and he simply could not go Max. He was inside a second of each lap. I doubt we might have achieved that if Landor hadn’t been capable of go.
