Wrong to call season a failure for Mercedes – Russell
George Russell says describing Mercedes’ season as a failure would be wrong because of its constructors’ championship progress and strong position behind Red Bull. The German manufacturer is currently second in the constructors, two hundred and fifty-six points behind Red Bull and ahead of Aston Martin by fifty-one.
Aston had been Red Bull’s closest challenger for much of the first half of the current campaign but has since fallen behind Mercedes, which has been able to score consistently even as it, Ferrari and McLaren have all had spells as Red Bull’s chief chaser at recent events.
However, in the last four races, Aston’s form has dropped, while Mercedes’s developments and change in concept has seen them emerge along with McLaren to challenge for best of the rest. Russell said, “I feel like as a team we’ve gone from strength to strength this season.”
“Obviously there was a lot of expectation upon us going into the season and perhaps why people are calling our season a bit of a failure. Of course, it’s far from where we want it to be because we want to be fighting for championships, but to call P2 in the championship, fifty points ahead of P3 at the moment, a failure is far from reality.”
Russell admitted that the team has a lot to improve, but believes that they have made really good progress hoping they can continue to pick up any pieces that fall away. Singapore ironically, looks to be the place where they could win because of the strengths of their car despite historically being a race where they have struggled.
Last year he finished second after Mercedes took an aggressive one stop strategy, aided by o late-race virtual and real safety car interjections, but Russell sees “no reason why not” in terms of the Brackley team repeating such a challenge in 2023.
Russell added, “These type of circuits – the high downforce circuits – we tend to go well [on]. Budapest we were fast. Here was probably one of our most competitive circuits along with Brazil [last year]. But we don’t know what the weekend is going to bring. The weather, again, looks very up and down.”
At the maximum number of Grands Prix
Charles Leclerc that the sport has reached its maximum number of grands prix, voicing concerns over staff wellbeing. This year’s calendar was originally set to feature twenty-four races like next year’s calendar before Shanghai and Imola were cancelled.
With the 2024 calendar posing several logistical headaches, including triple headers and a run of four standalone flyaways, Leclerc has joined Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in voicing his concerns over how demanding the schedule has become for F1 staff. But there are still plans to add a race in South Africa but a deal to return to Kyalami has yet to materialise.
He said, “One side of me understands. It’s not easy if you put yourself in the shoes of Formula 1, We have a sport that is booming, and it’s great to have that. We are very lucky to have that. At the same time, I feel like at one point, it just gets too much. Not for us drivers, because we have a really good life.”
“I think the drivers that are complaining probably don’t realise that the mechanics, the engineers, the guys on the logistics are here three days before us and leave two days after. I think for them, it starts to be quite a bit.”
Until 2027, the Concorde Agreement limits the number of races is capped at twenty-four. But Leclerc points out the individual Grands Prix will lose their appeal and importance if there are too many of them, a view shared by many.
Earlier this month, Verstappen said the increased human cost of competing in F1, with all the added off-track activities that are required, have sometimes made him question if his hectic lifestyle is still worth it.
Twenty-four weekends is half the calendar year, squeezed into nine and a half months it’s a big commitment not just for drivers, but team personnel, media and fans to go or see every race.
Haas retain Magnussen and Hulkenberg for 2024
Haas has announced that they have retained both Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg for 2024, continuing their partnership for a second season. Hulkenberg returned to the sport after three years as a reserve driver for Racing Point/Aston Martin, while Magnussen is Haas’s longest-serving driver.
The pair currently sit fourteenth and eighteenth in the 2023 drivers’ standings, with Haas eighth in the constructors’ championship. But the first half of its campaign was dominated by in-race tyre wear problems that restricted its points-scoring chances despite usually showing good promise in qualifying.
Team principal Gunther Steiner said “Kevin is obviously a very well-known quantity to us, and I’m delighted he’ll return for what will be his seventh season in Haas colours. With hundred and thirteen starts for our team alone, we know where his strengths lie and his knowledge and experience of our organisation pairs very well with that too.”
“On the other side of the garage, Nico’s simply slotted in without fuss or fanfare and proved himself to be a valuable member of the team. He’s approaching two hundred starts in Formula One and we’re very happy to be the beneficiary of that experience behind the wheel.:
But Steiner says the team needs to get on top of the issues they have with their form, particularly tyre wear which has been a long-term issue for the team.
In its official statement, Haas did not reveal any information on the length of either driver’s contract situation – bar stating Hulkenberg and Magnussen have been signed “into next season’s record-breaking twenty-four race calendar” with “continuity at the heart of its driver line-up”.
In 2023, Magnussen was nearing the end of the “multi-year” deal he signed to replace Nikita Mazepin at Haas on the eve of last season following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Hulkenberg was brought into replace Mick Schumacher following costly crashes last season.
Magnussen said, “I’m obviously very happy to see my relationship with Haas extended once again. My return in 2022 had been unexpected but was filled with numerous highlights, and although this season hasn’t gone quite as we’d hoped, we’ve still managed to get into the points and shown potential in the package we have.”
“My thanks, as always, go to [team owner] Gene Haas and Guenther Steiner for giving me the opportunity to keep racing in the sport I love.”
Hulkenberg, who is set to hit two hundred races at the upcoming Mexican GP, said: “It’s nice to get things sorted early for next season to just keep the focus on racing and improving performance. I enjoy being part of the team and share Gene and Guenther’s passion for it.”
Shwartzman will replace Sainz in FP1
Robert Shwartzman will replace Carlos Sainz in tomorrow’s first practice session at Zandvoort. It will be the first of two rookie sessions in 2023 for the Russian-Israeli driver, who had previous outings for the Maranello outfit in Austin and Abu Dhabi last year.
In this week’s edition of This Grand Prix, we will be exploring the challenges most teams face in filling the two sessions where teams are required to run drivers with less than two Grands Prix starts. Ferrari has more flexibility with Shwartzman than some teams have with their rookies as he is not currently competing in F2.
Team principal Fred Vasseur confirmed that the choice of which FP1 session to give up was agreed upon after a discussion with Sainz. Vasseur said, “Robert will do Zandvoort in Carlos’ car, and he’ll do another one, probably Abu Dhabi, in Charles (Leclerc’s) car. It was the choice of the driver, I gave them the choice to do it where they wanted to do it. I know that it’s not an easy situation. But Carlos was [ok with] the idea.
“It’s not so easy to decide because for sure you can’t do it in Singapore, in Japan, in Las Vegas. Also, you have some sprint events in Austin, Qatar, so that you can’t do it.” He says the decision to give the sessions tip to the Russian-Israeli was to allow Oliver Bearman and Leclerc’s brother Arthur, to focus on F2 where they are sixth and fourteen in the championship.
Half-distance Talking Points
Ten races in fourteen weeks across four continents and nine countries until Abu Dhabi to ‘decides’ the title, starts with a double header to close the European season and the return of the longer-haul flyaway, the back-end of a season always is exiting
Here are the headlines
- Two full-night races and street circuits in Singapore and Las Vegas
- Two twilight races in Lusail (Qatar) and Abu Dhabi
- Three double-headers and one triple-header
- Three sprint weekends in Lusail, Austin and Sao Paulo
The most talked about race is the return to Las Vegas for the first time in forty years, a circuit designed to run past such famous landmarks such as Caesars Palace and the Bellagio, the race will run under floodlights on Saturday evening in the States.
In the more detailed piece below, one question remains with a five-race lead in the championship it appears inevitable that Max Verstappen, baring missing several races, will claim a third world title. The more realistic question then perhaps is just how soon could the Dutchman mathematically wrap up his third title?
In theory, it could be a month today if he wins the next four races and has a hundred-and-eighty-point lead. That would require a string of difficult point-less weekends for all of his nearest challengers in the next races (Zandvoort, Monza and Singapore).
Red Bull has still several races until they can think about Mercedes’s nineteen wins from twenty-one races in 2016. No team has ever won every race in a season, the closest being eleven which they surpassed in Budapest. Red Bull came very close last season to bettering Mercedes’ record of seven hundred and sixty-five points in 2016, falling just six points short of that target.
Its also highly likely at some point there will be a reliability issue and retirement, but Verstappen hasn’t retired since Melbourne last April, thirty-one races ago.
To preserve the run they may well also need Sergio Perez to also rediscover more consistent form. Although taking two fine early wins himself, Perez has only finished second to Verstappen on three of the ten occasions the Dutchman has won this season.
One of the sub-plots growing is the rivalry between Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, the former teammates both refound form this year. Alonso looking for his first win in a decade and set a new record between first win and the latest win of twenty year, while Hamilton looks to avoid a second winless season.
Aston Martin, Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren all having their moments this season, we’ll also start to find out whether one single consistent challenger to Red Bull emerges over the closing rounds heading towards 2024.
Hamilton’s future is still yet to be formally agreed, but it’s certain that he will sign a new deal. Back at the start of July, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said that “we’re not talking anything anymore about duration, money, all of that, it’s other topics”, suggesting that it was only minor points left to iron out.
Bottas on Sauber transition impacts
Valtteri Bottas says it’s inevitable that the Sauber will become “more corporate” after it switches to full Audi identity in 2026. The Finn has enjoyed a more relaxed atmosphere at what is currently the Alfa Romeo team, since leaving Mercedes at the end of 2021.
Last weekend Bottas competed in a cycling event in Colorado dressed as Simpson’s character Duff Man, for which he won the best costume award, winning his weight in beer and subsequently donating it to spectators and competitors. But admits the freedom he has had on social media in the last eighteen months may change.
Last spring the Finn broke X (then called Twitter) and Instagram, with the ‘Bottass picture’ of him swimming naked in Colorado with his bare bottom poking out of the water. The stir it caused on social media prompted Bottas to collaborate with photographer and creative Paul Ripke to do a special one-day-only run of prints of the photo for charity.
Over 5,000 people bought a copy of the print, helping to raise more than €50,000 for charity.
The Finn admits that if he stays on to drive for Audi he will have a ”second thought” about documenting his off-track activities on social media, but he insists that he won’t fundamentally change as a person.
When asked about a potential change of environment in Hinwil said Bottas, “No doubt it will get more corporate with a big brand coming in. But if that brings results, then I don’t mind, just change a bit of the team culture and the free atmosphere for a more competitive part.”
“I don’t feel like I need to change myself. I am who I am. And I want to be who I am always. Of course, with a bigger company some things that I share in social media, I might have to do a second thought on things, but that’s okay.’
But says he will be happy if ‘I can still have my fun, which I believe is good for me.’ He says that the environment is allowing him to show he is ‘just a normal guy who has a sense of humour. It’s fun to share stuff like that.’
