P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Russell: Mercedes went slower in search for ‘silver bullet’ in Japan
Russell finished eighth in qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix, with limited fresh tyres at his disposal. Despite being close to the pace during Friday’s practice session, he felt that the team took a step backwards overnight. Changes made to the car did not yield the desired results, and Russell expects to remain in lower-scoring positions for the race. Verstappen and Red Bull, on the other hand, have reasserted their dominance in Formula 1. To compete with them next year, Mercedes and Russell will need to make rapid progress in car development. Russell believes that they can preempt where they can be quick for the remainder of the season, but the challenge lies in being consistently fast everywhere.
Source: Motorsport Week
