George Russell expressed disappointment with the performance of his Mercedes team at the F1 Imola Grand Prix, labelling them as “dead slow” and noting their struggles with rising temperatures during the race.
Despite Russell finishing in seventh place, his teammate Antonio Giovinazzi retired from the race due to the team’s difficulties in managing the heat.
Russell highlighted that Mercedes has been facing performance issues in high temperatures since last year, with the team unable to find a solution despite adjusting the car setup.
He emphasized that their lack of pace was not due to bad luck, but rather a recurring issue that becomes pronounced in hot conditions and affects their competitiveness compared to rivals like Ferrari and Williams.
Russell mentioned sensing a problem with the car on his way to the grid before the race, which persisted throughout the event despite the team’s investigation, indicating a fundamental issue with tire overheating depending on the circuit.
