George Russell has admitted that Mercedes’ latest upgrades have made it difficult for him to maintain consistent performance. The British driver struggled at the US Grand Prix in Austin, while teammate Kimi Antonelli delivered a much stronger result.
Russell believes the car’s narrow performance window could explain the difference, but he still needs answers from his team.
Speaking at the Mexican GP media day, Russell said, “I’ve never had such a fluctuating season in my career. We’re struggling in certain conditions, and that’s never happened to me before.”
His comments reflect the challenge Mercedes faces as it tries to understand why its updated car produces different results depending on the conditions and the driver’s ability to find the right setup.
George Russell Highlights Mercedes’ Narrow Performance Window
Mercedes introduced its latest upgrade package to improve the car’s performance, but Russell has struggled to get the expected results. Although the updated package has shown potential, the team still needs to understand how to make it work consistently.
The difference between Russell and Antonelli was particularly clear in Austin. Antonelli won the United States Grand Prix, while Russell finished eighth after starting sixth. A five-second penalty affected the Briton’s race, but his lack of pace also raised concerns about the car’s performance.
Russell explained that the latest package has created an unusual situation for both drivers.
“It’s been a bit strange for us, since we brought the new package, for both me and Kimi. In Austin, I struggled and Kimi didn’t, the performance is in a very narrow window and I have to try to focus on that window,” he said.
The team now needs to examine the data and identify what works best for each driver.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has also acknowledged the problem. He explained that Russell struggles more when the car falls outside its ideal operating window, although he remains confident in the driver’s ability.
Consistency Is George Russell’s Main Goal
Russell’s biggest concern is the sharp difference between his results across recent races. He secured pole position just at the Azerbaijan GP before his eighth-place finish in Austin. That inconsistency has made it difficult for him to build momentum throughout the season.
Returning to winning ways remains important, but Russell wants Mercedes to deliver a car that performs reliably across different conditions. Without that consistency, even a strong qualifying result may not translate into a competitive race.
“I think it is definitely important to me to try and gain some consistency. A couple of races ago I was on pole, last weekend I finished P8. I’ve never had a season where the performance has fluctuated so much,” Russell concluded.
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