George Russell Criticizes Modern Formula 1 After the US GP
Mercedes driver George Russell has expressed his opinion on the current Formula 1, suggesting that it has become a “race to turn 1” after the United States Grand Prix.
The race, which promised to be epic at the Circuit of the Americas, was characterized by a limited number of overtakes.
Max Verstappen’s victory was the 13th of the season for the driver who started from pole position in the 19 races held. Russell, who started fifth, finished sixth, losing a position to McLaren’s Oscar Piastri at the start.
At the moment in F1, it’s a race to turn 1. There is no tire degradation, there are only three tenths between the fastest and slowest car in the top six.
George Russell
Russell explained that, normally, it takes at least half a second to overtake. Therefore, if he had come out of turn 1 in third position, he would have been on the podium.Lando Norris, from McLaren, pulled off some overtakes in his fight with Charles Leclerc, from Ferrari, although the different tire strategies of both drivers contributed to this.
Formula 1 has struggled to find a solution for exciting wheel-to-wheel racing. The Drag Reduction System (DRS) is being replaced with next year’s rule changes, but it has previously been compared to a temporary solution for deeper problems, related to the difficulty of modern F1 cars to follow each other.
Pirelli, the long-time F1 tire supplier, has often been blamed for the state of its tires, but Russell explained that it is unfair to focus solely on that area.
Russell pointed out that, regardless of the situation, Pirelli always receives criticism.
The driver explained that a tire that allows for full throttle but degrades quickly is preferred, which would result in multiple pit stops during the race.
According to Russell, ideally, the soft tire should last 12 laps, the medium 15 and the hard 20, before losing performance abruptly. However, he admitted that it’s easier said than done.
Russell concluded that Pirelli faces constant criticism and that, despite its efforts and the improvement in the tires, these can still be the cause of unexciting races.
