P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Russell explains how low-fuel runs expose Mercedes F1 inconsistency
Russell finished ninth in Q3, while his teammate Hamilton ended up in seventh, 0.589 seconds behind Verstappen, the polesitter. Russell believed a final-sector mistake led to his 0.811 second deficit, costing him the chance to potentially qualify in the top five. The Mercedes team struggled with the W15’s high-speed deficiencies, especially when lighter fuel loads in qualifying changed the dynamics of corners. Russell expressed the need to address the car’s performance in high-speed corners, which is currently a weak spot for Mercedes. The team is working on drastic test items to improve high-speed performance and address the issues early in the season. Russell pointed out that starting the season on fewer high-speed tracks could have provided a different outcome for Mercedes.
