According to Mercedes driver George Russell, the secret to the German side’s speed in Formula 1 has a name: an engineer. Before the problematic floor they brought at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit for the Belgian Grand Prix, the Brackley team was experiencing a period of great form, culminating in a 1-2 finish in Belgium (despite the fact that George Russell’s result was disqualified after the race). After two years to forget, the Silver Arrows can dream again.
With two victories in Austria and England, Mercedes ended an eternal drought: two consecutive first places, something they hadn’t achieved since 2021. The last victory before the chaotic finish at the Red Bull Ring came in Brazil in 2022. On both occasions, the success was signed by George Russell, a homegrown star who, next year, will have a chance as team leader.
According to the British driver, the key to Brackley’s success is James Allison’s position. The engineer, with extensive experience in Formula 1, including three years as Technical Director of Ferrari (between 2013 and 2016), resumed that same role at Mercedes this year after holding it from 2017 to 2021.
“I believe that James Allison’s new involvement in the project has been a huge advantage for us,” George Russell explains. “We’ve always benefited from his talent within the team, but having clear leadership and direction to maximize the work and skill of the designers and aerodynamicists has been crucial. The experience he brings is enormous and has been an important factor. The resurgence in performance from us and McLaren has definitely been a pleasant surprise, perhaps also slightly exaggerated by Red Bull’s decline,” – the teammate of Lewis Hamilton continued. “I think we’ve made progress while they’ve fallen back, but in a normal season, no driver or team should win every race, and that’s the norm.” – the British driver concluded.
Source: f1ingenerale
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