F1 News: George Russell Outlines Mercedes ‘Limitations’ Ahead Of Japanese GP

George Russell has spoken out on the difficulties Mercedes faces in Japan.

Jun 18, 2023; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Mercedes driver George Russell (GBR) parades and salutes the / David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports

George Russell shared insights into the challenges Mercedes faces after securing ninth position in the Japanese GP qualifying session. The competitive field, he noted, highlighted the car's difficulties in high-speed corners.

Key Takeaways:

• Russell noted the intense competition among teams, with performance on the day making a significant difference in positioning.
• The Mercedes team anticipated struggles at the Suzuka Circuit, particularly with high-speed corners being a known weakness.
• Despite these challenges, Russell remains optimistic about the race, citing various strategies and opportunities for advancement.

Mercedes driver George Russel speaks at a press conference during preparation day for F1 at Circuit / Mikala Compton/American-Statesman / USA

After a challenging qualifying session that saw George Russell land in ninth position for the Japanese Grand Prix, the Mercedes driver shed light on the struggles faced by the team at the Suzuka Circuit. Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Russell emphasised the razor-thin margins separating the mid-field teams, including McLaren, Aston Martin, and Ferrari, where a perfect lap could dramatically alter the standings. The British driver explained:

"It's just so tight out there between ourselves, McLaren, Aston Martin and Ferrari. If you nail that lap, you will be at the front of that pack, if you don't, you will be at the back.

"We knew this circuit would be a slight challenge for us. We know our limitation would be the high-speed corners."

He continued:

"When you get to qualifying, you go through all the corners quicker. That fast Sector One, you go through there five to 15mph quicker than yesterday and that pushes us to the weak point of the car, so I expect it to be better tomorrow.

"I think there's a lot that can happen and everyone has different tyres avaliable.

"There will be many different strategies and a lot of opportunities. I think it will be a good race. It's so tight out there between everyone.

"If you do a good job and nail it, you will jump three, four, five positions and compared to last year that would be one position."

Russell will start the race tomorrow from ninth position whilst his Mercedes teammate will start from seventh position on the grid. Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez secured a Red Bull front row lockout after qualifying first and second, repsectively.