P1racenews AI automatic summary:
It was another challenging weekend for Mercedes in China, with George Russell bagging a sixth-place result for the Brackley-based squad.
George Russell has cautioned Mercedes that they still have a lot of ground to cover to compete with other top Formula 1 teams. Mercedes struggled at the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix, with Russell finishing sixth, nearly 40 seconds behind Max Verstappen. Lewis Hamilton, starting from the back due to a poor qualifying session, managed to climb to ninth place. The team has been facing challenges since the new regulations in 2022, and Russell acknowledges the significant effort needed to catch up. He emphasized the need to close the gap with Red Bull and be in contention with Ferrari and Lando Norris. Despite a strong start overtaking Ferrari drivers on the first lap, Russell believes there is still room for improvement and the team must focus on enhancing performance. The Mercedes driver reflected on the weekend, noting the importance of trying different strategies between races and the need for continuous development in areas like adding more downforce to the car.
