Formula 1: David Coulthard urges George Russell to not be the second fiddle to Lewis Hamilton and raise his voice to improve the Mercedes F1 car: The former F1 driver David Coulthard wants George Russell to not be second fiddle to seven times F1 champion Lewis Hamilton. David wants George to speak up in order to improve their Mercedes W13 F1 car. Follow Formula 1 2022 Live Updates on InsideSport.IN.
David said, “I’ve been super-impressed. George has performed in line with my expectations. For me, he’s a brilliant all-round package. He has speed, he has excellent communication skills. He’s a modern version of a top professional racing driver. I thought that before the season started and I’ve seen nothing since to change my mind.”
Formula 1: David Coulthard urges George Russell not to play second fiddle to Lewis Hamilton, asks him to raise voice to improve Mercedes F1 car
“He was brilliant with Williams. It led to him being courted by Mercedes as everyone knows. But the honeymoon period where you can do no wrong changes quickly, particularly when there’s an expectation that – given the car you are driving – you should be in the top three. What’s actually happened is that Ferrari and Red Bull have come flying out of the blocks.”
“There are some who might judge that George’s first couple of races have not been up to standard. I wouldn’t agree with that. I think he’s handled the car and the situation well. You can only drive the car you’ve been given. His next job will be, along with Lewis Hamilton, is to be the voice that enables his Mercedes team to develop a winning car.”
George Russell had replaced the outgoing Valtteri Bottas for the second seat in Mercedes. David feels that George is “a brilliant all-round package.” So far in the 2022 season, George has finished fourth at the Bahrain Grand Prix. He also managed a fifth-place finish at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Bit of a lonely one tonight but we made the best of it with P5. Two weeks to Melbourne, time to get stuck in. pic.twitter.com/PU45lp5Ghh
— George Russell (@GeorgeRussell63) March 27, 2022
Coulthard believes that George is doing enough and has lived up to the hype and expectations. Although, the Mercedes W13 car has not been up to the standards of Ferrari and Red Bull. They are struggling with Porpoising issues. However, it has halted the up-gradation of their car.
George had even suggested bringing back ‘active suspension’ in the sport. With the help of active suspension, they could have cured the Porpoising issues. But, the sport is equal for all as other teams have found a way to cure Porpoising issues.
Formula 1: David Coulthard urges George Russell not to play second fiddle to Lewis Hamilton, asks him to raise voice to improve Mercedes F1 car
Coulthard believes the emergence of Russell and Lando Norris has given the sport the spark it needed. David added, “Honestly, I’ve loved to see what George is bringing. First, because he’s British. And secondly, he’s bright-eyed, enthusiastic, and an excellent communicator. It’s a gift to be a professional sportsperson. He’s embracing it and I think it’s inspirational.”
“I’ve got a 13-year-old son and I want him to look up to the likes of George and Lando. They’ve been a breath of fresh air. There have been periods where it’s a bit staid. But you cannot say that about Formula 1 at the moment. And a lot of that is down to the excitement those two are generating.”
Russell feels that he and Hamilton are equally treated in the Silver Arrows team. Meanwhile, he wants to follow in the footsteps of his teammate Lewis Hamilton. Russell told BBC, “I think because we are at very different stages of our careers there is a really strong mutual respect between us. We both recognize our fight isn’t with each other as it may be in some other teams. We are on a level playing field. There are no team orders. We have equal treatment totally. And Mercedes trust us to go out there and race fairly.”
Mercedes seriously needs to get a hang of their Porpoising issues. By the time they get a hang of the problem, Ferrari and Red Bull would be out of their sight. The Australian Grand Prix will see Mercedes have a new ‘rear wing.’ The Australian GP is very important for Mercedes if they want to stay in the hunt for the title. Points are hard to come by for them and podium finishes are looking out of their reach.
Round three of the 2022 Formula 1 season takes place in Australia. The Australian Grand Prix will start on 8th April and the race is scheduled for 10th April.
Formula 1: David Coulthard urges George Russell not to play second fiddle to Lewis Hamilton, asks him to raise voice to improve Mercedes F1 car
