Formula 1: George Russell confident Mercedes will ‘be making steps forward’ in 2024 season
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Published 26/11/2023 at 15:35 GMT
George Russell is confident Mercedes will arrive at the first race of the 2024 Formula 1 season in a much better place than they were in 2022 and '23. Mercedes dominated the sport from 2014 to 2021 but fell well behind Red Bull when the ground-effect regulations were introduced. Ahead of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Russell said the team would be "making steps forward" over winter.
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George Russell is confident Mercedes will “be making steps forward” in 2024 after two disappointing seasons under Formula 1’s latest set of regulations.
Mercedes won the constructors’ championship eight times in a row from 2014 to 2021 in the turbo-hybrid era but fell backwards when new ground-effect rules were introduced for 2022.
The Brackley-based outfit have won just one race since then when Russell clinched a maiden Grand Prix victory in Sao Paolo last year, with Red Bull re-establishing themselves as the sport’s dominant force.
Russell expects Red Bull to maintain their status as the team to beat next year but backed Mercedes to pose more of a threat.
Asked if next year’s car is going to look different, Russell told Sky Sports: “It depends what you mean by, ‘Does it look different?’
“There’s a lot of small things we’re changing with the car. I’ve seen it in the wind tunnel.
“We’ll be making some steps forward no doubt, but Red Bull are so far ahead at the moment, and they stopped development months ago so they’re going to make a huge step again.
“But I’m confident we’ll be in a better place come Bahrain than we were in the last two years.”
Mercedes shocked the paddock in 2022 when they unveiled their radical ‘zero-sidepod’ design that saw them fall well off the ultimate pace.
They stuck with that philosophy for 2023 before abandoning it midway through the season.
With just one race left this year, Mercedes face the prospect of a first winless campaign since 2011 but can secure second in the team standings ahead of Ferrari.
Russell will line up fourth at the season-ending Abu Dhabi GP, while Lewis Hamilton exited qualifying early and is set to start 11th.
Asked if he was relieved that would be his final qualifying session with the W14, Hamilton said: “I wouldn’t say I’m relieved but I’m definitely happy it’s nearly over.”
He added: “[There’s] more inconsistency than ever before. It’s just up and down per corner from the moment you hit the brakes, turn, hit the apex – it’s massively out of balance and very hard to predict what’s going to happen.”
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