Mercedes Faces Reality After Baku: Vows Improvement Following Russell’s Podium and Team Struggles

Mercedes pledges not to be in denial following their acknowledgement of shortcomings

Andrew Shovlin examines the challenges faced by Mercedes in Baku

Mercedes maintains they won't be overly influenced by George Russell's surprising podium finish in Baku.

Russell was on track to secure a fifth-place finish at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, marking an unremarkable weekend for his Formula 1 team. However, a collision that took out Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz unexpectedly elevated him to a third-place finish.

He had earlier used the benefit of hard tires to surpass Max Verstappen.

"Having a car finish in the top three was gratifying, yet we're not under any illusions," commented Andrew Shovlin, the Trackside Engineering Director for Mercedes.

"This weekend fell short of expectations and there's room for improvement. The initial performance of both drivers was lacking.

We were unable to prevent the back tires from getting too hot, and there was a moment when it seemed we were headed for a challenging afternoon.

"The firm tyre was a much better fit for us. George had the advantage of clear air to figure out the optimal way to utilize the tyres and keep them in an ideal condition.

"This strategy benefited him greatly as the race progressed. Initially, we fell behind the leaders due to significant time losses, but managing to overtake Verstappen was a key moment that ultimately secured our spot on the podium."

Lewis Hamilton's race at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix failed to commence.

He began the race from the pitlane due to his Mercedes receiving new power unit parts, and crossed the finish line in ninth place.

"Shovlin noted that Lewis faced a challenging race, constantly encountering packs of cars with DRS and struggling to navigate past them."

"As he approached the vehicles in front, he increasingly struggled with his tyres overheating."

"Nonetheless, our performance here wasn't sufficient to secure a podium finish based on our own merit, and that's the issue we need to focus on addressing."

"Next week in Singapore, we're facing a new challenge, but we're eager to find our way back to success."

Toto Wolff remarked, "We'll focus on the bright side from today's outcome, which is managing to secure a podium finish for one of our cars."

The situation at the front became increasingly aggressive, ultimately resulting in Sainz and Perez crashing into the wall.

"Securing a third-place finish and stepping onto the podium surpassed our expectations, yet we are under no illusion that, based on today's speed, we were actually the fifth fastest.

"We'll examine both the race and the entire weekend. Our performance during the latter part of the grand prix, while using the hard tyre, was promising."

George managed to maintain stable temperatures and, by conserving his energy at the start of his stint, he was able to exhibit impressive speed during the final phases.

Lewis encountered challenges due to the heavy traffic, yet there were instances where he demonstrated impressive velocity.

"We're now shifting our focus to Singapore, where predicting performances on this challenging track remains uncertain. Our plan is to analyze this weekend's data thoroughly, striving for better vehicle stability, and hoping for a more successful outing there."

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