Mercedes struggles continue but Russell stars in grand prix
Mercedes F1 chief Toto Wolff called his team’s Imola weekend a “complete writeoff” even before the main race had taken place, such were the Silver Arrows’ struggles with tyre warm-up and porpoising.
Of the latter problem, George Russell said after the grand prix that “this is the first weekend I’ve truly been struggling with my back, and almost like chest pains from the severity of the bouncing”.
Mercedes’ existing tyre warm-up struggles were exacerbated by the cool and wet conditions in Italy.
The sprint was warmer, but was yet “another humbling experience”, according to Wolff. After Russell had qualified 11th and Hamilton 13th – Mercedes’ worst qualifying result since the 2012 Japanese Grand Prix – Russell made no progress in the sprint, while Hamilton was outmuscled by Yuki Tsunoda and Lance Stroll at the Villeneuve chicane on lap one (he repassed Stroll after the safety car but climbed no higher). Russell put this result down to another issue Mercedes has been grappling with all year: that the W13 is draggy and struggles for top speed. After qualifying, Hamilton was spotted having an animated discussion with Wolff, but the team boss dismissed suggestions of a fracture within the camp, with Hamilton later vowing there’s “no one that’s giving up”.
But he has already conceded that his chances of winning the 2022 title are all but over, after finishing a lapped 14th in the GP. Hamilton only just maintained his place off the less grippy side of the track at the start of the GP thanks to the Tamburello incidents. He was then stuck behind Pierre Gasly after having to take avoiding action when Esteban Ocon was released into his path at the stops, and also struggled massively to get the mediums warm. He then got stuck in a DRS train.
Russell did have an excellent GP, climbing five spots at the start and then running fifth ahead of the charging Valtteri Bottas. This became fourth when Charles Leclerc spun, a result made all the more impressive by Mercedes failing to give Russell the necessary front wing adjustments at his stop to deal with the drying conditions.