P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Russell hopeful Mercedes trend can buck ‘strange’ Friday
George Russell is hopeful that Mercedes can make up ground on Friday night after struggling during Friday practice at the Japanese Grand Prix. Despite finishing 13th and fifth fastest in the two sessions, Russell believes Mercedes is only slightly behind the cars following Max Verstappen. The low grip conditions and high tyre degradation have made it challenging for drivers, but Russell is confident that Mercedes can find performance gains and improve for qualifying. The race on Sunday is expected to be interesting due to the high tyre degradation, with Red Bull appearing exceptionally quick at the front. Russell believes Mercedes is currently half-a-step behind Ferrari and McLaren, but remains optimistic about closing the gap.
Source: RacingNews 365
