F1 News: George Russell Unveils Las Vegas Mercedes Engine Secret After Staggering 1-2 Finish

Saajan Jogia | 5 Hours Ago

Nov 20, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Mercedes AMG Petronas driver George Russell (63) during media availabilities at Las Vegas Circuit. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Mercedes driver George Russell revealed that he used a fresh engine during his dominant performance at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, where he secured pole position and won the Grand Prix by a margin of seven seconds over his teammate Lewis Hamilton. Originally reserved for the upcoming Qatar Grand Prix, Russell believes the new engine will further bolster Mercedes' chances of success in the next race.

The Briton was eventually relieved that he used the new engine for the street race on the Strip, considering the tire graining challenges most teams suffered from. While cold conditions are said to favor Mercedes' W15 F1 car, Russell might have gotten a tiny bit of advantage from his new engine. Hamilton also showcased a strong performance, as he finished second after starting from the tenth spot.

Russell is confident that the second race of the tripleheader, set at Qatar's Lusail Circuit, will be another opportunity for the W15 to shine. He attributes this optimism to the circuit's smooth track surface, which suits the car, and the expected cooler temperatures. While the conditions will be warmer than those in Las Vegas, they are still expected to remain favorable for Mercedes' performance. Speaking to the media, the Mercedes driver said:

"I think we've got a good shot in Qatar.

"To be honest, going into this triple header, I had my sights set on Qatar, even to the point that I wanted to take my freshest engine out and put an old engine in for Vegas, to save my best engine for Qatar. 

"I'm kind of glad we didn't do that now."

Admitting that Mercedes has had to set the car up in a specific way for bumpy circuits, which are not particularly W15-friendly, the Las Vegas Street Circuit allowed Mercedes to sit much lower, and the absence of bumps on the track added to the team's advantage. He said:

"It's no secret that we struggle on the bumpy circuits and we have to lift the car quite a lot.

"We've got to make it much softer, and then we're in a downforce window where we don't have any. And it's not that we just suddenly forget how to set the car up. It's just certain circuits require us to put the car in a window it doesn't like to be. 

"On tracks like [Las Vegas] where it's relatively smooth, we can get the car quite low, quite stiff, with little or no bumps around the track, we fly."

Qatar's Lusail International Circuit does not hold a reputation of being a bumpy track, which could add to the Brackley's outfit's advantage. The 5.1km, 16-turn track, underwent extensive upgrades last year, featuring modernized facilities and enhanced safety measures, making it one of the most advanced circuits on the F1 calendar.