Russell criticizes modern F1: “A race to Turn 1” after US GP

George Russell Criticizes Modern Formula 1 After the United States Grand Prix

Mercedes driver George Russell has expressed his concern about the direction that modern Formula 1 has taken, describing the current races as a simple “race to turn 1”. This statement comes after a United States Grand Prix with few emotions. The race at the Circuit of the Americas, which promised to be epic, was characterized by a limited number of overtakes. Max Verstappen’s victory, starting from pole position, was number 13 in the 19 races this year. Russell, who started in fifth position and finished sixth, lost a position to McLaren’s Oscar Piastri at the start.

Right now, in F1 it’s a race to turn 1. There’s no tire degradation, there are only three tenths between the fastest and slowest car in the top six.

George Russell

Russell explained that the lack of tire degradation and the proximity of lap times have made overtaking difficult. According to the driver, if he had maintained third position on the first lap, he would have been on the podium.

Lando Norris of McLaren achieved some overtakes in his fight with Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, although this was partly due to the different tire strategies employed. Formula 1 has struggled to find a solution to improve wheel-to-wheel racing. The Drag Reduction System (DRS) is being replaced under next year’s rule changes, but it has previously been compared to a temporary solution for deeper problems, related to the difficulty modern F1 cars have in following each other. Pirelli, F1’s long-standing tire supplier, has often been blamed for the situation with its tires, but Russell explained that it’s unfair to focus solely on that area.

Pirelli receives criticism no matter what. When there is a lot of tire degradation, people say it’s not real, the drivers can’t push when we have to manage… [then] we don’t like it when there is no tire degradation, we say it’s a boring race.

George Russell

Russell added that the search for the ideal tire is a challenge. Ideally, the drivers would want a tire that allows them to go flat out for a limited time, forcing multiple pit stops. The Mercedes driver concluded that, although Pirelli has significantly improved the tires, they still contribute to less exciting races.