P1racenews AI automatic summary:
George Russell finished outside of the top five for the first time in a 2025 grand prix, with seventh at Imola.
During the Emilia Romagna GP, George Russell expressed his belief that Mercedes had a “fundamental issue” with his car, as he described the race as “disastrous.” Starting from third on the grid, Russell experienced a strange feeling with his W16, suspecting that the rear trackrod was broken due to his lack of pace, which he reported to the team. Despite initially falling outside the points due to an early pit stop and being passed by Lando Norris, Russell managed to finish in seventh place, his lowest result of the season. Throughout the season, Mercedes had a recurring issue of performing well in cooler conditions but struggling in hotter temperatures, which Russell felt was still present in the W16, affecting their performance against teams like Ferrari and Williams. Russell highlighted the challenge of dealing with different tracks, tyre compounds, and temperatures in Formula 1, acknowledging that every team has its share of difficult race weekends, emphasizing the need to adapt and improve despite the setbacks.
