George Russell has confirmed that Mercedes will hold an important team meeting this week as the 2025 Formula 1 season progresses, aiming to identify the causes behind the team’s recent loss of competitiveness. This announcement comes ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, as the British driver and his team seek to regain pace after a series of disappointing race results.
Strong start to the season contrasted by recent challenges
Russell began the season with impressive consistency, securing four podiums and finishing within the top five in each of the first six races. The highlight was his victory in Canada, where Mercedes also celebrated Kimi Antonelli’s podium finish, marking a high point in their campaign. However, the momentum has stalled over the last three races, raising concerns within the team.
At the Belgian Grand Prix, Russell finished fifth, trailing behind the dominant McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris by roughly 30 seconds. Even more troubling was the gap to the third-place duel between Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, from which he was nearly 15 seconds behind.
Russell acknowledges lack of pace and outlines team’s response
Reflecting on recent performances, Russell described the results as “pretty underwhelming” and noted that the team, which normally benefits from cooler race conditions, failed to capitalize on favorable weather. He emphasized the necessity for a collective review, stating that the team needs to analyze the decisions made over recent weeks and months to understand why progress has stalled.
We’re going to have a big meeting this week with all the designers and engineers. To sort of understand the decisions we’ve made in recent weeks or months. And why we’ve gone backwards. So hoping for some improvements in Hungary.
—George Russell, Mercedes Driver
Upgrades introduced but failing to deliver expected performance
Mercedes has introduced several upgrades to the W16 car over the last few months in an effort to enhance competitiveness. Despite these changes, Russell admitted that the new components have not translated into improved results on track. He described his fifth-place finish at Spa as possibly overstating the car’s true performance, acknowledging that the team has regressed since shifting its development direction.
It sometimes takes a few races to understand what the real reasons are for that lack of pace, but clearly it seems that we need to revert back to what we had earlier in the season.
—George Russell, Mercedes Driver
Engineering challenges linked to front-wing regulations
Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes’ head of trackside engineering, has outlined how a technical directive introduced at the Spanish Grand Prix limiting front-wing flexing has disrupted the car’s balance. Shovlin noted that the car had previously performed well across most circuits, often competing for front-row grid positions. While the directive was not expected to enhance vehicle stability, Mercedes was capable of running the affected front wing in Montreal without issue.
However, Mercedes has been unable to restore entry stability as effectively as other teams since these changes.
It isn’t just the front wing that’s changed, and I’m sure there’s more that we can learn. That’s what the focus is on over the next few races, trying to pinpoint why we’re getting this entry stability issue.
—Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes Head of Trackside Engineering
Preparation and optimism ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix
With limited time before the back-to-back race weekend in Hungary, Mercedes is eager to reverse its recent downturn. Shovlin confirmed that the big meeting featuring drivers, designers, and engineers will take place on Monday, focusing on reviewing the updates made throughout the season and ensuring future efforts target the right areas.
There’s quite a lot that we’ve changed, so we’ve got a meeting with the drivers tomorrow to go through some of what we’ve done over the year to try to make sure that our efforts are focused on the right things and not just changing things for the sake of it.
—Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes Head of Trackside Engineering
He expressed confidence that adjustments could still be made before the Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring circuit, depending on parts availability and the depth of possible changes.
It’s definitely possible for us to look at changing aspects of the car for Budapest. How deep we go will depend on what parts we’ve got around us.
—Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes Head of Trackside Engineering
Upcoming race critical for Mercedes’ season momentum
The Hungarian Grand Prix will serve as the final race before Formula 1’s summer break, heightening its significance for Mercedes as they seek to halt their performance slide. Russell and the team hope the upcoming technical meeting will lead to tangible improvements at the Hungaroring, where reclaiming competitiveness is essential to maintaining their ambitions for the 2025 championship.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Why is George Russell 63?
A. Russell chose the number 63 for his kart, which was rented by his brother back then.
Q. Which F1 drivers only speak English? Drivers like George Russell, Oscar Piastri, Jack Doohan and Lewis Hamilton are native English speakers.
A. How many languages does George Russell know?
Q. Why is George Russell number 63?
A. George Russell, who drives car number 63 for Mercedes, has a personal connection to his car number. He explained, “Sixty-three was my brother’s number.”