P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Russell: Trying to "reinvent the wheel" behind F1 form dip
Russell started the year strong but struggled in qualifying during the second quarter of the season. He only out-qualified his teammate Hamilton once since Monaco, which affected his performance on Sundays. Before the summer break, Russell admitted that things weren’t clicking for him in the Mercedes W14. However, he made a comeback in Zandvoort by qualifying third, while Hamilton struggled and was eliminated in Q2. Russell revealed that he changed his set-up approach after realizing that he was overreaching and trying to reinvent the wheel. He focused more on qualifying and regaining his confidence, which resulted in a positive performance. Getting the set-up right in the current generation of ground effect cars is a challenge, as there is a compromise between ride heights and consistent aerodynamic load. Russell acknowledged that they had been chasing the wrong direction but now have a clearer idea of how to react. He believes that they are on the right path to success.
Source: Autosport.com