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Following a frightening accident involving George Russell during the second practice session at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mercedes Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin disclosed that the damage to the Briton’s W15 was serious enough to require a chassis change for Saturday.
Following a challenging qualifying session, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell of McLaren are worried that they won’t be able to compete with Ferrari, Max Verstappen, and Lando Norris for the top spots in the Mexico City Grand Prix.
After surviving a fast crash in Free Practice 2, Mercedes was able to fix George Russell’s car for qualifying at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
The British driver appeared unfazed by his accident, performing well on Pirelli’s soft tires in both the last practice session and during qualifying. Even though Mercedes wasn’t fast enough to compete for a position in the top two rows, Russell still achieved a P5 grid position for today’s race at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton, his teammate, appeared strong in the initial two qualifying rounds, but he made errors in the last part, resulting in him finishing sixth in the grid.
Toto Wolff, team boss of Mercedes, has admitted that the third row was the best his team could achieve on Saturday, considering the strong performance of the three rival teams.
The outcome today was just for P5 and P6. We lacked the speed of the top three teams, so it was probably the highest position we could achieve. We still had to perform effectively; Qualifying wasn’t easy as Red Bull and McLaren both had a car eliminated in Q1.
In the end, we were just two tenths away from being on the front row with George, who is using the older specification this weekend. Though it may be slightly frustrating, it provides some hope for tomorrow’s race that we could capitalize if the leaders make mistakes.
Lewis had a more challenging session. After FP3, he only made minor adjustments to the set-up, but he didn’t feel as at ease with the car as he had previously in the day. Taking P6 was a good task and he will anticipate tomorrow.
Acknowledging the team’s exceptional contributions at the garage is crucial. They have faced difficulties in the last few races. Following George’s accident yesterday, they put in long hours during the night to prepare the car and did an excellent job. Maintaining that level of performance consistently, especially during a busy triple-header, showcases the team’s unity and dedication propelling us forward.
Mercedes Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin disclosed that the damage to the Briton’s W15 was so significant that the Brackley-based team had to replace the chassis for Saturday.
The team put in a lot of effort overnight to fix George’s car after the accident in FP2 yesterday. The impact was severe and caused significant damage, including to the chassis.
“We had to change the chassis, but we managed to finish the job and get both cars ready for FP3.” The team in the garage deserves a lot of credit for effectively handling the challenges we have faced in both locations, showing their efficiency.
Before Qualifying began, we were aware that it would be challenging to position ourselves in contention for the top-three spots. The Ferraris have appeared fast throughout the weekend and McLaren surprised in FP3 with competitive times. It is disappointing that we missed out on the front row by just a few tenths.
“We believe that P5 and P6 are a fair outcome considering our performance during this weekend.” Knowing the pace of the competitors in front, we understand that advancing from the third position will be challenging. However, we will be actively seeking out any opportunities that present themselves tomorrow to achieve our goal.