Russell ready to ‘sacrifice some races’ for better performance in the future

Mercedes’ George Russell has stated he is willing to ‘sacrifice some races’ this season in a bid for better performance in the long run as doubt creeps into Mercedes’ concept.

Sticking to their guns with an evolved concept of their troublesome 2022 concept Mercedes were looking to close the gap this season, and be up there with the likes of Red Bull and Ferrari competing for race wins and podium finishes.

The season opener proved that not to be the case and has thrown doubt into the team’s current concept. By the end of the opening race, the team found themselves 51 seconds behind the pace of eventual winner Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing.

Aston Martin, outfitted with the Mercedes power unit, has proved the car’s engine is mechanically sound after the Silverstone-based team secured a podium in the first race of the season. The difference comes from Aston Martin’s car which has taken inspiration from Red Bull’s design, hinting Mercedes’ issues lie in the car’s concept.

After a seventh-place finish, Mercedes driver, George Russell has stated he is willing to ‘sacrifice some races or part of this season’ in a bid for better performance either this season or next. 

In a press release, after the Bahrain Grand Prix, the Briton said:

“We are lacking performance and we are a long behind where we want to be. Aston Martin are the surprise package this year and our deficit to Red Bull and those ahead is too big.

“The positive we can take away is that there is no fundamental problem with the car, other than it is lacking downforce. As silly as it sounds, that is one of the easiest problems to solve compared to what we had to do last year.

“If we must sacrifice some races or part of this season to give ourselves a chance to fight in the second half of the season, or even next year, that is what we are going to have to do.”

Ahead of the race on Sunday, Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team Principle and CEO, Toto Wolff admitted the car may not have what it takes to become competitive eventually, stating his team need to find a new design to drive them back to the front.

Russell out-qualified, seven-time world champion and teammate, Lewis Hamilton in the first qualifying session of 2023 and started the race P6 while Hamilton started P7. The duo then finished the race fifth (Hamilton) and seventh (Russell) after their cars were not competitive enough to compete with Red Bull, Ferrari or the Aston Martins.

The consensus with the team points to a lack of downforce generated by their current concept, and in this latest generation of F1 cars: downforce equals performance.

Problems facing Mercedes come down to if they decide to change their car. It’s easy to say they require a new concept, it’s another – and more difficult challenge – to find the solution to drive them forward.

Hamilton remains hopeful Mercedes can iron out their issues and deliver the results. He said:

“We are lacking a lot of downforce, and we’ve got a lot of work to do to add more to the car.

“As soon as we put more load on the front and rear, we will be able to pick up our pace. We’ve just got to keep working; we know we are not where we need to be.

“I’ve got to stay positive, keep my head up and keep pushing the Team. I will be a positive light for them and get the best points I can.”

That’s all for the article; Russell ready to ‘sacrifice some races’ for better perfomance in the future!

Who do you think should Mercedes scrap their current concept and pursue a new design? Let us know in the comments!

Read more Formula 1 here:

• LIVE BLOG: F1 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix
• F1 2023 Bahrain: Verstappen on pole position ahead of Perez
• 2023 Bahrain GP: Alonso goes 0.005s faster than Verstappen in FP3
• F1 2023 Bahrain GP: Alonso fastest ahead of Verstappen in FP2
• Lance Stroll due to race in 2023 Bahrain GP
• Susie Wolff appointed Managing Director of F1 Academy

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Kamron Kent

Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.

I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.

Kamron Kent

Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.