F1 News
Russell describes Mercedes' Abu Dhabi performance as a "reality check"
George Russell won the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix last weekend, but Mercedes have crashed back down to Earth with a disappointing day in Abu Dhabi. Lewis Hamilton recorded the team's first mechanical failure of the season, whilst Russell couldn't really challenge the top drivers in the race.
Reality Check
Mercedes have slowly improved through the season. During pre-season testing, it was clear the German team were struggling with porpoising. At the Australian Grand Prix, it already looked unlikely of a title win. For the first time since 2014, Mercedes walk away from Abu Dhabi without a World Championship trophy on the aeroplane.
With two race wins in Brazil last weekend, Russell secured fourth place in the World Championship. With this, he finishes ahead of Carlos Sainz. Whilst this might be a positive for the Mercedes team, Russell suggests it is good to have Sunday's result in Abu Dhabi to provide focus during the winter break.
"This weekend was important, we had such a high in Brazil and Mexico, but clearly our car only performs in a really narrow window. This was a reality check for all of us," Russell said in a conversation with Sky Sports.