Among the drivers who excelled in the 2024 Formula 1 season, George Russell undoubtedly stood out, securing two victories and a third win at Spa, though it was taken away due to a disqualification for an underweight car.
From the start of the championship, George Russell displayed excellent form, serving as Mercedes’ beacon during a phase when Lewis Hamilton was still adapting to the W15. Hamilton struggled with the car at various points in the season, particularly in qualifying. Over the years, George Russell has consistently shown strong one-lap performance, earning the nickname “Mr. Saturday” during his time at Williams. This aspect became even more evident in the recently concluded season.
George Russell attributes his edge over Hamilton to several factors, including his mental growth and driving style, which suit the current generation of ground-effect cars. On the technical side, it’s worth noting the W15’s complexity in being driven to its limits.
Greater Confidence in the Car, Especially in Fast Corners
From the early races of 2024, Mercedes faced a familiar issue that has plagued their cars in recent years—bouncing. This challenge, though mitigated during the mid-season when engineers found better compromises, often limited the W15’s potential.
While the W15 was quick to bring tires up to temperature for a flying lap, difficulties with bouncing and the lack of confidence it induced made it challenging for drivers to extract the car’s full potential.
Among the Mercedes drivers, Hamilton suffered more from these issues, as seen in several races. Meanwhile, Russell often found the confidence or technical solutions to better cope with the problem. For example, this was evident in Brazil, where heavy bottoming forced Mercedes to raise the car slightly, sacrificing downforce.
Under wet conditions, typically Lewis Hamilton’s forte, the seven-time champion struggled in fast sections, unable to feel sufficient downforce from the floor and having to lift off more than George Russell. The Brazilian GP, where Russell qualified second while Lewis Hamilton was eliminated in Q1, is just one of many examples, alongside Austin and other rounds.
The Role of Driving Style
While George Russell has always been strong over one lap, he believes his driving style suits the current ground-effect cars, helping him stay competitive in 2024. However, this doesn’t mean he hasn’t faced tougher periods, such as in 2022 or mid-2023, when experimenting with setups led to some lackluster races.
Discussing his qualifying prowess, George Russell said his driving style naturally aligns with the current generation of cars, although it’s been an advantage in the past as well: “I think my natural driving style has probably worked well with these cars. But at the same time, my qualifying stats compared to my teammates in the previous generation were still good, and in every category, they’ve been excellent,” Russell noted.
“Of course, Lewis is the toughest teammate [to beat], so that’s why this aspect has been highlighted a bit more.” On the other hand, during races, where such factors become less critical for outright performance, Hamilton often found his rhythm, though starting positions significantly impacted his results.
With this generation of cars, extracting maximum performance from the front end during cornering is challenging. The front tends to be weaker than the rear, and the 18-inch tires provide different support compared to the previous 13-inch specifications. Drivers like Kevin Magnussen have struggled more with these dynamics, especially over one lap, due to the complexities in managing combined phases of braking and rotation.
The Importance of Experience and Mental Growth
George Russell also emphasized the importance of experience, now that he has completed six seasons in F1. By the end of a championship, drivers better understand a car’s strengths and weaknesses.
“As the season goes on, you learn what to do to maximize the tires, what the strengths are, and where the weaknesses lie. However, I think everyone gains experience as the championship progresses,” Russell said. He also pointed to mental fortitude as an area where he’s made significant progress.
“Honestly, I’ve felt really comfortable with the car [in 2024]. And I’m confident in myself. I feel that mentally I’m in a very good place, especially when it comes to high-pressure scenarios to get the best out of myself. I don’t want to compare, but personally, I feel I’m driving better than ever.”
In the past, Russell has made errors under pressure or in critical moments. However, he believes he has improved in this regard, especially in handling setbacks.
“I think every driver can put in great laps and performances, but when the pressure increases, like in Q3, that’s when it all changes. I feel I’ve learned a lot about myself and how to get the most out of myself, though it’s different for everyone. But I know what works for me.”
“Also, in dealing with negative results, I think I’ve gotten better at closing that chapter, moving on, and learning from it, whereas my younger self would probably have dwelled on things longer.”
“I remember in 2022, I had a string of really poor races. It was the first time that season that I felt off in terms of performance, and it probably affected me for one or two more races than it should have. Now, even in an FP3 session or Q2, if I’m behind, I don’t stress. I know that whatever happened before doesn’t matter. It’s that Q3 lap that counts.”
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