P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Russell explains how low-fuel runs expose Mercedes F1 inconsistency
Russell finished ninth in Q3, while his teammate Hamilton came in seventh, still 0.589 seconds slower than Verstappen, the polesitter. Russell attributed his 0.811s deficit to a final-sector error that cost him potentially qualifying in the top five. The Mercedes team noted inconsistencies in their car’s performance, particularly struggling in high-speed corners due to the car’s traits and lighter fuel loads in qualifying. Russell mentioned the team’s focus on improving high-speed performance, acknowledging the early exposure of these issues in the season. He believed that starting the season at tracks with fewer high-speed corners would have presented a better scenario for Mercedes.
