George Russell comments on ‘go-kart’ style racing with new vehicles: ‘Rather enjoyable’
SHANGHAI, China — George Russell mentioned that his on-track duels with Ferrari during the first two race weekends of the season remind him of his childhood go-karting experiences.
Russell had to navigate a lengthy contest with former teammate Lewis Hamilton to secure victory in Saturday’s sprint race in China. He faced a similar challenge against Charles Leclerc in the initial phases of the Australian Grand Prix, which he won last weekend.
While some drivers, including world champions Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, have heavily criticized F1’s new cars, Russell stated that he cannot recall having battles in Formula 1 that compare to the ones he is currently experiencing.
“There’s a lot happening, but it makes it quite enjoyable and definitely feels more like the go-kart racing of my youth,” Russell remarked. “The top three or four drivers are all in contention. I don’t remember Formula 1 ever being like this, where multiple cars are genuinely fighting for the same position on track.”
He continued: “I just spoke with Charles, and we both agreed that it was actually quite enjoyable in the end. There was a lot of strategy involved, particularly regarding how to execute the overtakes.”
– Chinese Grand Prix: George Russell wins F1 sprint
A significant aspect of the new races is the energy management that drivers must handle, along with various sections of the track where they can utilize their boosts.
Russell’s encounters with the Ferrari duo in both races have unfolded similarly, with neither car able to gain a significant advantage over the other for several laps.
During Saturday’s sprint, there were multiple instances where Russell overtook Hamilton on the long back straight, only for Hamilton to reclaim the position around Turn 1.
Ultimately, Russell managed to fend off Hamilton down the start-finish straight, which seemed to disrupt the “yo-yo effect” that Leclerc referenced after their own battle in Melbourne.
When asked about the reason for the back-and-forth exchanges, Russell suggested that he has been adopting a cautious approach to the new racing style. “To be honest, I think it’s been me both times,” Russell stated. “I’ve been quite careful.”
“I was particularly cautious in Melbourne because it was the first race of the season with a completely new car, new tires, and a new engine, and I don’t think anyone knew what to expect. You conduct all these simulations.
“And again today, I felt relatively safe and comfortable. I think the Ferraris were deploying more energy into Turn 7, and when I looked in my mirror out of Turn 6, I had a bit of a gap to Lewis, so I thought, ‘I’ll just manage the tires a bit and not overdo it on the opening lap of the race,’ and he caught me off guard.
“So, I can’t say what would have happened if I had led the first lap in both instances. And then, I’m not entirely sure how I managed to pull away once I got into the lead. I noticed I had a strong last corner. Lewis was gaining on me down the straights, but it just wasn’t enough that lap, and I pushed hard to create a slight gap.”
While Mercedes currently seems to have superior qualifying speed, Russell believes Ferrari will present a similar challenge during Sunday’s full-length grand prix.
“We’re somewhat surprised by our qualifying performance and potentially their slower pace compared to our expectations. However, the race pace appears to be very close between us. We observed this last week and noted it in Melbourne. I think if they had been on the same strategy as me, I’m not sure I would have won the race. And again today, it was a real battle between us, and I was pushing hard in the last three laps, with Charles finishing just 0.7 seconds behind me.
“With one more lap, it would have been another fight. So, we just need to keep pushing. It’s definitely not an easy task.”
Source: espn.com
