Russell criticizes modern F1: “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 modern Formula 1 is taking, describing it as “a race to Turn 1.” These statements came after a United States Grand Prix with few thrills. The race, held at the Circuit of the Americas, promised to be epic, but was characterized by a limited number of overtakes. Max Verstappen’s victory marked the thirteenth time in 19 races that the driver starting from pole position took the win. Russell, who started in fifth position, finished sixth, losing a position to McLaren’s Oscar Piastri at the start.

“Right now in F1 it’s a race to Turn 1”, Russell commented to Sky Sports F1. “There’s no tire degradation, there’s only three tenths of a second between the fastest and slowest car in the top six”.

George Russell

Russell went on to explain that the lack of performance difference between the cars makes overtaking difficult. Lando Norris of McLaren achieved some overtakes in his fight with Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, although the different tire strategies influenced it. Formula 1 has struggled to find a solution that promotes more exciting races. The Drag Reduction System (DRS) will be replaced next year, but it has been criticized for being a temporary solution to deeper problems, related to the difficulty of modern cars to follow each other.

The tire supplier Pirelli has been the subject of criticism, but Russell argues that it is unfair to blame them entirely.

“Pirelli receives a lot of criticism, no matter what,” Russell said. “[When] there is a lot of tire degradation, people say it’s not real, the drivers can’t push when they 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 explained that the ideal tire would allow drivers to compete at full speed for a limited time, forcing multiple pit stops and adding excitement to the race. “Ideally, the soft tire lasts 12 laps, the medium 15 laps and the hard 20 laps and then it’s over. But that’s much easier said than done.” Russell concluded by emphasizing that Pirelli strives to improve the tires, although this does not always translate into more exciting races.