Sports
George Russell Clarifies Front Wing Decision at Monaco GP: A Coin Toss Averted by Hamilton’s Gesture
George Russell clarifies the situation regarding the allocation of Mercedes' new front wing, explaining why it was he, not Lewis Hamilton, who received it.
George Russell disclosed that Mercedes was ready to resort to a "coin flip" to determine who would use the new front wing at the Monaco Grand Prix, until Lewis Hamilton took the initiative and made the choice on his own.
Mercedes came to Monaco last weekend with only a single new front wing in their arsenal.
During Friday's practice session, it was revealed that only Russell's car would be tested, sparking a flurry of speculations regarding the reasons behind this decision.
Usually, teams prioritize the driver who is leading in the championship rankings when it comes to receiving updates.
Nonetheless, there was speculation that Mercedes was showing preference to Russell, considering Hamilton's departure from the team the following year.
In a conversation with Channel 4 following Sunday's race, Russell clarified that Hamilton declined to participate in the coin toss after testing the new front wing in the simulator.
"This weekend, there was only one front wing available, and it was decided on Tuesday that we would flip a coin to determine who would get it," he explained.
Lewi conveyed that he had tested it in the simulator and was comfortable with me employing it for the upcoming race, acknowledging the inherent risks involved. He highlighted that a mishap during the qualifying round, leading to damage, would result in the loss of that particular front wing permanently, necessitating a start from the pit lane.
"I gladly embraced the chance to utilize it and considered it a delayed birthday gift he offered, allowing me to use it."
He finished by stating, "No, the coin toss didn't happen."
Even though Hamilton made the call independently, the seven-time world champion mentioned it during his responses following both the qualifying round and the race.
The individual, aged 39, made an astonishing statement following the qualification round, expressing no anticipation of surpassing Russell in the 2024 qualifications, especially in Monaco, attributing this to the lack of an "enhanced component."
"Hamilton expressed on Saturday in Monaco that he expected it to be a challenge to surpass George in qualifying due to George having the upgraded component. He was pleased to note that they were introducing improvements."
Explore Further
Recent Updates
Recent Updates
Site Navigation
Crash.Net
©1999-2024 Crash Media Group
Copying or replicating the text, photos, or images in whole or in part is strictly prohibited.
Discover more from Automobilnews News - The first AI News Portal world wide
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.