George Russell Explains Recent Upturn After “Losing The Way”

Posted on September 3, 2023 | by Dre Harrison It’s a phrase you commonly hear in music, the difficult second album. And for George Russell, he’s openly admitted he’s struggled in his second year at Mercedes so far but is enjoying a return to form after qualifying on the second row for the second weekend running! Russell was one of the last over the line in Q3 but nailed his lap to qualify in fourth, ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton for the second straight weekend, as well as bestie Alex Albon and Red Bull rival Sergio Perez. When speaking in a media scrum that included The Race, George admitted he’d lost his way chasing Hamilton, who he was behind in the Championship by 43 points going into the Summer Break. When asked if changing his approach to the weekend worked, George said: “Yeah definitely, semi-going back to basics.”  “Really pleased with my own personal performance for these two first races after we sort of are back to my level of the first six races. I lost my way a bit before the break. Really happy with P4, we set the car up more for the race because we weren’t expecting to be as quick as a team as we were. Great place to start.” In a follow-up where George was asked if it was a mental barrier when he was struggling, he said: “I’m just focusing on the main points. The tyres are a huge factor, not trying to reinvent the wheel with set-ups, and just accepting the pace of the car. “P4 was the maximum potential today. But if I went in trying to do a lap for pole, trying to find three extra tenths, I would have ended up in the gravel because three tenths extra is just not possible. We know how important the tyres are, this is a prime example. Q1 P13, Q3 P4, and the only thing that changed is the tyres.” Seemingly an important lesson learned for George Russell as he explores the limits of his Mercedes W14… Have you been impressed with George since the end of the Summer Break?