P1racenews AI automatic summary:
George Russell revealed that he almost missed his shot at victory in the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix by using an old engine from his Mercedes allocation.
Russell’s pole position win in Las Vegas was followed by a dominant victory. The Mercedes team showed great pace, with Hamilton finishing second starting from 10th on the grid. Despite the success in Vegas, Russell had initially planned to save his best engine for the upcoming Qatar race, where he believed they would be strongest. The team’s unexpectedly strong performance in Vegas surprised both Russell and Hamilton. Looking ahead to the Qatar Grand Prix, Hamilton is unsure of Mercedes’ performance given the cooler temperatures and smoother track conditions compared to the previous year. The team remains cautiously optimistic but Hamilton acknowledges the unpredictability of F1 form.
