P1racenews AI automatic summary:
George Russell believes Mercedes wasn’t as competitive in F1’s Las Vegas GP compared to 2024 as the team has a “more consistent” car this season.
George Russell believes Mercedes was not as competitive in the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix compared to 2024 due to the team having a “more consistent” car this season. Despite entering the event as the favorite, Mercedes could not replicate the dominance from the previous year, with Russell finishing in third place, 23 seconds behind winner Max Verstappen. Russell initially moved up to second by capitalizing on pole-sitter Lando Norris’s mistake but eventually lost the position due to steering issues and tire graining. However, Russell has no regrets about his aggressive approach during the race, stating that he wanted to fight for victories. He emphasized that Mercedes’ improved consistency over 24 races this year has been key to their better performance compared to the previous season. Russell believes the team’s goal is to score as many points as possible throughout the season, and the current car provides a better opportunity to achieve that goal than the car from 12 months ago. Mercedes will be investigating the issues that hindered Russell’s victory bid in the Las Vegas GP.
