George Russell :Everything you want to know about ADV News, Photos & Exclusive stories.

Following the Belgian Grand Prix, Mercedes has provided an explanation for why George Russell's car was underweight, leading to his disqualification. The British driver had employed a one-stop strategy to secure the lead, ultimately finishing ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton. However, post-race technical inspections revealed that Russell’s car was in breach of the minimum weight regulations. Consequently, his victory was overturned, and the win was awarded to Hamilton. Mercedes’ Trackside Engineering Director, Andrew Shovlin, has acknowledged the team’s disappointment and confirmed a comprehensive investigation to identify the root cause of the issue and prevent recurrence.

Shovlin said: 'It was obviously very disappointing and unfortunate, particularly after Russell had driven such a strong race to win from so far back. We are trying to understand exactly what happened. A lot of that involves us getting the weights of all the different components.'

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‘The car can lose quite a lot of weight during the race. You get tyre wear, plank wear, brake wear, oil consumption. The driver themselves can lose a lot, and in this particular race George lost quite a bit of weight.

'The cars started the race the same weight. Lewis and George were both weighed after qualifying. The cars were within 500 grams. George's car was the only one that had the problem, and it is because things like the tyre wear was much higher. It looks like we lost more material on the plank. We will collect all that data though, look at how we can refine our processes because clearly, we do not want that to happen in the future.’

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Mercedes accepted the FIA’s decision to disqualify George Russell without protest, bringing a bitter end to a dominant race performance. The team's hopes for a first one-two finish since 2022 were dashed as a result.

With ten races remaining, Mercedes now occupies fourth place in the constructors’ championship. Lewis Hamilton is sixth in the drivers’ standings, while Russell’s disqualification has dropped him to eighth.

F1: Mercedes Unveil Initial Findings on George Russell's Underweight W15 at Belgian Grand Prix

Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin explained that multiple factors contributed to George Russell being disqualified from the Belgian Grand Prix for coming in 1.5kg under the weight limit during post-race checks.

George Russell's impressive victory at the Belgian Grand Prix was abruptly overturned when his Mercedes was found to be in breach of weight regulations. The British driver had orchestrated a masterful one-stop strategy to secure a dominant win over teammate Lewis Hamilton. However, the euphoria was short-lived as post-race scrutineering revealed Russell's car was 1.5 kilograms below the mandated minimum weight of 798 kilograms. Despite the car being drained of its remaining fuel, it still fell short of the required weight. The subsequent disqualification of Russell handed Hamilton his 105th Formula 1 victory, elevating Oscar Piastri to second place and Charles Leclerc to third. The unexpected turn of events sent shockwaves through the paddock, with Mercedes acknowledging a significant error and vowing to learn from the incident.

After Russell's Disqualification, Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff said: 'We have to take our disqualification on the chin. We have clearly made a mistake and need to ensure we learn from it. We will go away, evaluate what happened and understand what went wrong. To lose a 1-2 is frustrating and we can only apologise to George who drove such a strong race. Lewis is of course promoted to P1; he was the fastest guy on the two-stop and is a deserving winner.

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'Despite the disqualification, there are many positives we can take from this weekend. We had a car that was the benchmark in today's race across two different strategies. Only a few months ago, that would have been inconceivable. We head into the summer break having won three of the past four races. We will look to come back after the shutdown rejuvenated and with the aim of maintaining our positive trajectory.'

<h2>F1:&nbsp;FIA’s Post-race Inspections&nbsp;</h2>

The FIA’s post-race inspections at the Belgian Grand Prix revealed that George Russell's Mercedes was underweight, resulting in his disqualification and a stunning victory for teammate Lewis Hamilton. The governing body conducted rigorous checks, including multiple weight measurements both inside and outside the Mercedes garage, with the team agreeing on the accuracy of the equipment.

<img alt="F1 Mercedes George Russell" height="720" src="/uploads/2024/07/F1-Mercedes-George-Russell.jpg" width="1280" />

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Mercedes accepted the FIA's decision without protest. The disqualification marked a bitter end to what had been a dominant performance, denying the team their first one-two finish since 2022. Despite the disappointment, team principal Toto Wolff highlighted the significant progress made by Mercedes this season, emphasizing their improved competitiveness compared to the start of the year.

With 10 races remaining, Mercedes sits fourth in the constructors' championship, while Lewis Hamilton occupies sixth place in the drivers' standings. George Russell's disqualification dropped him to eighth. 
&nbsp;

F1: 'We have Clearly Made a Mistake,' Says Toto Wolff After Russell's Disqualification from Belgian GP

Toto Wolff responded to George Russell’s disqualification from the 2024 F1 Belgian Grand Prix, apologizing on behalf of Mercedes, after Russell's impressive rise from sixth on the grid to an apparent victory using a one-stop strategy.

Mercedes' new Formula 1 car is "nicer" than last year's problematic W14, according to George Russell, who was pleased with the new W15. Russell had the sole chance to try the car during the opening day of pre-season testing in Bahrain. Even though he was 12th in the standings and 2.765 seconds behind Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, Russell had nothing but praise for his car. Russell spent the whole first day behind the wheel with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, completing 122 laps despite some minor delays caused by Mercedes team adjustments. For the 2024 Formula 1 season, Mercedes unveiled an entirely new car, the W15. In comparison to the W14, this model has a new layout. It is worth mentioning that Mercedes has completely abandoned the Zeropod concept for the current season. In addition to moving the radiators and upper side impact spars to different locations, the floor of the vehicle has been reinforced internally to prevent excessive flexing.

Speaking after stepping out of the car, Russell said: “It was great to drive the W15 for the first time in anger today. From hitting the ground, it felt like we had a good foundation to start from. We completed lots of laps and have plenty of data to go through tonight. We ended the day in a reasonably good spot, and we can build from here over the next two days. We will be focused on maximising mileage for learning rather than chasing an optimum sweet spot with the car. Comparing it to the W14 predecessor, which failed to win a race, he added: “Overall, the W15 does feel nicer to drive than last year’s car.”

<h2>F1: Mercedes-AMG W15</h2>

<a href="https://www.autox.com/motorsport-news/f1-hamilton-confident-about-mercedes-performance-in-2024-115584/">Mercedes has had a tough go of it in Formula 1 over the past two seasons</a>, trying to regain their former glory. Mercedes has made several adjustments to their new W15 F1 car. One of these alterations is the driver's position in relation to the front wheels. After finishing second in 2021 to Max Verstappen for the world championship, Hamilton failed to win a race in 2022 and will now enter his last season with the Mercedes before making an unexpected move to Ferrari in 2025.

<img alt="F1 Mercedes W151 png" height="720" src="/uploads/2024/02/F1-Mercedes-W151.png" width="1280" />

New regulations in 2022 emphasised under-car airflow for enhanced downforce, which caused problems for Mercedes. Converting success in the wind tunnel to on-track performance was a challenge due to unpredictable aerodynamics, which made adapting to these changes even more difficult. Because of this unpredictability, Mercedes shifted their emphasis to downforce at higher ride heights, while rivals, notably Red Bull, thrived at lower ones. <a href="https://www.autox.com/motorsport-news/f1-monaco-gp-mercedes-w14-big-upgrades-unveiled-at-monaco-grand-prix-113361/">During the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix</a>, Mercedes made midseason adjustments to the floor and front suspension geometry to decrease the ride heights, in response to criticism for their conservative strategy. Unfortunately, the suspension setup was stiff and the handling was subpar due to midseason component restrictions.

To address these issues, Mercedes has made changes to its new 2024 W15 F1 car, including a reworked monocoque and an improved rear suspension, since Austin and Monaco. The squad is hell-bent on winning Formula 1 races again this season, and they intend to do it by making massive performance improvements.

F1 Bahrain Pre-season Test: Mercedes W15 is Nicer to Drive, Says George Russell

The 2024 Formula 1 Mercedes W15 was deemed "nicer to drive" by George Russell following the first day of testing, which included 122 laps of the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain.

Mercedes driver George Russell showed his superiority in the final practice session for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, setting the fastest lap time before the session was red-flagged five minutes early. On Friday night, drivers had the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the obstacles of the newly introduced Las Vegas Strip Circuit, a venue spanning 6.201 kilometres.

After a lacklustre showing on Friday, Mercedes looked remarkably fast on Saturday, especially when driven by Russell, who set the day's best time with a surprising 1 minute 34.093 seconds, placing himself less than four-tenths ahead of McLaren's Oscar Piastri. Despite the interruption caused by the red flag with less than five minutes remaining, Russell's position at the top remained undisturbed.

During the session, multiple narratives unfolded, one of which being Alex Albon's incident with the barrier, leading to a collision with the left side of his Williams car. Max Verstappen, who had been leading the standings by large margins at various points in the session, ran into trouble when he slid off the track on the first flying lap of his last run. Despite the difficulties, Verstappen managed to finish in fourth place on the timesheets, with teammate Sergio Perez not far behind.

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<h2>F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix: Free Practice 2 Result</h2>

<img alt="F1 Las Vegas " height="720" src="/uploads/2023/11/F1-Las-Vegas-.jpg" width="1280" />

Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin finished seventh, ahead of Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes, Valtteri Bottas of Williams, and Kevin Magnussen of Haas rounded out the top 10. During his last lap of the race, Lando Norris had to overcome an obstacle as he skidded out of Turn 12 and had to recover expertly. Despite nearly avoiding the wall, the compromised lap time demoted him to the 11th spot. The top 12 were as follows: Nico Hulkenberg (12), Lance Stroll (13), Esteban Ocon (14), and Zhou Guanyu (15).

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, driving for Ferrari, had their best lap times early in the practice when the circuit was at its slowest, but they subsequently fell to 16th and 17th by the end of the session. Yuki Tsunoda finished 18th, and Daniel Ricciardo came in last for AlphaTauri, separated by Pierre Gasly in the Alpine.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="543">
	<tbody>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20" width="64">Pos</td>
			<td width="133">Driver</td>
			<td width="242">Team</td>
			<td width="104">Time</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20">1</td>
			<td>George Russell</td>
			<td>Mercedes F1 Team</td>
			<td>1m34.093s</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20">2</td>
			<td>Oscar Piastri</td>
			<td>McLaren F1 Team</td>
			<td>1m34.491s</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20">3</td>
			<td>Logan Sargeant</td>
			<td>Williams Racing</td>
			<td>1m34.645s</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20">4</td>
			<td>Max Verstappen</td>
			<td>Red Bull Racing</td>
			<td>1m34.643s</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20">5</td>
			<td>Sergio Perez</td>
			<td>Red Bull Racing</td>
			<td>1m34.706s</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20">6</td>
			<td>Alex Albon</td>
			<td>Williams Racing</td>
			<td>1m34.726s</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20">7</td>
			<td>Fernando Alonso</td>
			<td>Aston Martin Formula One Team</td>
			<td>1m34.788s</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20">8</td>
			<td>Lewis Hamilton</td>
			<td>Mercedes F1 Team</td>
			<td>1m34.853s</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20">9</td>
			<td>Valtteri Bottas</td>
			<td>Alfa Romeo F1 Team</td>
			<td>1m34.908s</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20">10</td>
			<td>Kevin Magnussen</td>
			<td>MoneyGram Haas F1</td>
			<td>1m35.067s</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20">11</td>
			<td>Lando Norris</td>
			<td>McLaren F1 Team</td>
			<td>1m35.089s</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20">12</td>
			<td>Nico Hulkenberg</td>
			<td>Haas F1 Team</td>
			<td>1m35.112s</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20">13</td>
			<td>Lance Stroll</td>
			<td>Aston Martin Formula One Team</td>
			<td>1m35.253s</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20">14</td>
			<td>Esteban Ocon</td>
			<td>Alpine F1 Team</td>
			<td>1m35.297s</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20">15</td>
			<td>Zhou Guanyu</td>
			<td>Alfa Romeo F1 Team</td>
			<td>1m35.881s</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20">16</td>
			<td>Charles Leclerc</td>
			<td>Scuderia Ferrari</td>
			<td>1m35.908s</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20">17</td>
			<td>Carlos Sainz</td>
			<td>Scuderia Ferrari</td>
			<td>1m35.939s</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20">18</td>
			<td>Yuki Tsunoda</td>
			<td>Scuderia AlphaTauri</td>
			<td>1m36.087s</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20">19</td>
			<td>Pierre Gasly</td>
			<td>Alpine F1 Team</td>
			<td>1m36.485s</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="20">
			<td height="20">20</td>
			<td>Daniel Ricciardo</td>
			<td>Scuderia AlphaTauri</td>
			<td>1m37.778s</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

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The FIA decided prior to the session to increase passing opportunities by extending the second DRS zone on the Strip by 50 metres. Now that the weekend's practice sessions are over, the teams and drivers can meet for one last debriefing before the midnight local time qualifying session to fine-tune their setups.

F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix: Mercedes's George Russell Fastest in FP3 as Red Flag Ends Session Prematurely

In the closing hour of practice at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, George Russell showcased his prowess by claiming the top spot on the timesheets. The Mercedes driver's performance was notable in a session that encountered a red flag in its final minutes.

After two seasons of missing the mark, Mercedes believes it has found the optimal riding height for its 2024 Formula 1 chassis. Since the introduction of ground-effect cars at the beginning of the 2022 season, the German manufacturer has had a rough go of it. For the 2024 Formula 1 season, Mercedes has Lewis Hamilton and George Russell working feverishly on their new W15 chassis. Since the FIA implemented strict technical requirements in 2022, the Silver Arrows have had trouble staying competitive. In almost two years of competition, the two British drivers had only one victory. The once-dominant Mercedes squad worries about ride height and porpoising. In 2022, Mercedes had serious aerodynamic porpoising problems, where cars oscillated vertically. Mercedes W13 took the most damage on the grid. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were in danger here. In response, the FIA mandated that all teams raise their cars' ride height by 15mm. Mercedes, perhaps being overly cautious, raised their car even higher for the 2023 F1 season. Because of this, they suffered a significant performance loss.

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<h2>F1: Mercedes-AMG 2023 Season so Far</h2>

<img alt="F1 Mercedes W14" height="720" src="/uploads/2023/06/F1-Mercedes-W14.jpg" width="1280" />

It's becoming increasingly difficult for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell to even get a podium at races. As a result, the team has switched their sights to 2024 in an effort to establish the optimal ride height. The team is optimistic that they will soon be able to get the most out of the car's chassis.

Mercedes is now focusing on the 2024 automobile, but according to Elliott, it won't stop the company from putting as much effort as possible into building the W14. Elliott believed that continuing development of this year's car would not jeopardise next season's efforts, despite the car's anticipated radical redesign.&nbsp;

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said, "Our season really didn't start well in Bahrain, but I think over the last races we've been able to understand the car better, keep on learning and finding improvements. The race for P2 is tight between Aston Martin, Ferrari, McLaren and us. It's going to be an intense battle to the end of the season. Our objective is always to be fighting for championships, not for second place. But we're racers and we will enjoy the challenge. Our focus is on what we need to be winning races and championships again. One helps the other, so we will be concentrating on how we can improve our understanding of the car, and how we operate as a Team, in the second half of this season."

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<h2>F1: Mercedes-AMG New Sidepods</h2>

<img alt="Formula 1 Mercedes AMG W14" height="720" src="/uploads/2023/08/Formula-1-Mercedes-AMG-W14.jpg" width="1280" />

Mercedes introduced their first big 2023 upgrade package at the Monaco Grand Prix, marking the end of its zero sidepod design, with which it ushered in a new era of ground effect regulations. The package updated the W14's mechanical and aerodynamic features with a redesigned front suspension, sidepods, and a floor. Because the present W14 tub was created as part of the discarded design, any changes to it this year would be impossible. Neither the cockpit's position nor the side guards' have been altered.&nbsp;

James Allison, technical director at Mercedes said, "The development journey hasn't been that different to any other year. Trying to add performance to the car with all the tools you have available. Finding more downforce, trying to not make the car heavier, making it handle better. The rewarding thing is we are not just adding bread and butter performance. We are also collectively assessing what we got wrong with our decisions last year. These were things we understood within the first few weeks of running the car. Since then, a major focus has been putting them right. I find that quite enjoyable and I know it's been rewarding for everyone in the technical team."

Although the Brackley-based Mercedes team now sits in second place in the 2023 Constructors' Championship, they have rarely been the weekend's second-fastest car. In light of Aston Martin and McLaren's entry into the competition for second place behind Red Bull, Wolff rejected any notion of annoyance with the performance of customer teams who seem to have matched the capabilities of the W14 equipped with the identical engine.

<a href="https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/mercedes-thinks-it-has-finally-found-ride-height-sweet-spot-for-2024-f1-car/10506250/">Source</a>

F1: Mercedes Thinks it's Found the Perfect Ride Height for its 2024 Car

Mercedes appears to have solved the aerodynamic problems that had been hindering the team's development. The team has been struggling for almost two years, but now they can see a possible solution to several of their difficulties.

At the Belgian Grand Prix, Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton once again missed the podium. at Hungary, they lost because of a poor start from the pole position, while at Spa-Francorchamps, Hamilton's progress was slowed by the car's limits. Mercedes is still behind Red Bull despite making improvements and tweaks to their vehicle. Mercedes has struggled greatly with the porpoising issue, which results in the vehicles bouncing uncontrollably. While other teams have solved this issue, Mercedes has been slow to do so. When they reduced the vehicles' suspensions for the Spa race, the problem reemerged. George Russell, who finished sixth in the Belgian Grand Prix, rehashed a famous quote from the 2022 Formula 1 season when he said that the bouncing he experienced during qualifying had made the rest of his Spa weekend difficult. Russell said the bouncing was a factor in his finishing the weekend in sixth position, despite the fact that he had a much better showing in both the sprint race and the grand prix after struggling to find his rhythm in qualifying.

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<h2>F1: Why was Mercedes-AMG W14 Pourposing During the Belgian Grand Prix?</h2>

But the issue of W14 bouncing was brought up by George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, the latter of whom said it was a "huge amount" of trouble. Due to the sprint event restrictions, Mercedes and its F1 opponents only had the wet FP1 session to refine their vehicles, and no adjustments were available after that. Elliott adds the team will have to assess whether it was circuit-specific or connected to set-up.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KTDv0-fD6_U?controls=0" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

Mercedes chief technical officer Mike Elliott said, "We definitely had an amount of bouncing this weekend, both drivers were telling us that and we could see it in the data."

The Mercedes team is still trying to fix the bouncing problem that plagued their vehicles during the Belgian Grand Prix, according to the team's chief technical officer Mike Elliott. Elliott said the team will have to figure out whether the issue was particular to the track or related to the car's set-up, given that the German team only had the wet FP1 session to dial in their vehicles.

"In terms of the performance, it definitely affects the performance of the cars because it affects the drivers’ ability to extract the maximum grip from the car, it affects their balance and it affects their ability to get their braking points right.", Eliot added.&nbsp;

Elliott said that the drivers' choice of downforce options for their run accounted for the variation in aero improvements they brought to Spa. He assured them that they were looking into the issue and were working to find a solution as quickly as feasible.

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<h2>F1: Mercedes-AMG Belgian Grand Prix Performance</h2>

<img alt="F1 Mercedes W14 2 " height="720" src="/uploads/2023/08/F1-Mercedes-W14-2-.jpg" width="1280" />

Despite Lewis Hamilton's (a seven-time world champion) positive assessment of his and Mercedes' performance in Belgium (they finished fourth), George Russell who finished sixth, was relieved when the weekend was over. At the start of the race, Max Verstappen lost five positions on the starting grid, which moved Hamilton up to fourth. After that, he was content to maintain his position in third. After Verstappen passed, the battle for the third position became between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. The Mercedes driver gave it his all, but his team chose to pit him for the quickest lap at the end of the race, dropping him to fourth place.

Russell, who had a terrible weekend, stated in an interview that the start of summer break couldn't have come at a better time. But he knew without a doubt that if the accident on the first lap hadn't happened, he would have finished higher than sixth.

F1: Mercedes W14 Suffers Porpoising Issues at 2023 Belgian Grand Prix

Mercedes' chief technical officer Mike Elliott says the team is still attempting to fix the bouncing problem that plagued its vehicle W14 during the Belgian Grand Prix. Although Mercedes has made some improvements and modifications to their car, they are still behind Red Bull.

George Russell will not participate in Friday Practise 1 for the Mexican Grand Prix in October because Frederik Vesti will be making his Formula 1 debut. Throughout a season, each team in Formula 1 must allow an inexperienced driver to drive in two practice sessions. There has been no substitute driver used by any team in any of the 12 Grands Prix thus far. At the October race in Mexico, Mercedes plans to alter that from their end. Vesti, a contender for the Formula 2 championship, will have his first experience of an FP1 session during an F1 race weekend thanks to the Silver Arrows. Vesti is a serious contender for the F2 championship this year, trailing leader Theo Pourchaire by just 12 points. He entered the Belgian Grand Prix weekend as the leader, but he came away with just three points in the Sprint and nothing from the Main Event. The 21-year-old had a spin on the way to the grid in the soaking rain, severely damaging his Prema.&nbsp;

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<h2>F1: Frederik Vesti and Mercedes</h2>

<img alt="Formula 1 Mercedes AMG Frederik Vesti 2 " height="720" src="/uploads/2023/08/Formula-1-Mercedes-AMG-Frederik-Vesti-2-.jpg" width="1280" />

The 21-year-old's first experience with a Formula 1 car came during the young driver test at last year's season's finale in Abu Dhabi. He drove the W13 for 124 laps. &nbsp;Since the Team is required to run a rookie for one of the two FP1 sessions, this will be his second time behind the wheel of an F1 vehicle.

Frederik Vesti said: “I’m incredibly proud to be doing the FP1 session in Mexico City with the Team - it’s a dream come true. To think in less than two months that I’ll be doing my first official Formula One session with Mercedes, who have won eight consecutive Constructors’ Championships, is amazing. This has been my dream since I was very young and something I’ve been fighting for through my whole junior career. It’s taken a lot of hard work, and this is a very important step for me on my journey. To be able to develop myself in an F1 car alongside some of the best drivers in the world is something I’m looking forward to. I want to thank Mercedes for this incredible opportunity, as well as my sponsors and manager for always believing in me. I can’t wait to be driving W14 for the first time.”

Toto Wolff, Team Principal of the Mercedes F1 Team said, “Fred has executed an impressive Formula 2 campaign so far this season. Driving in an FP1 session is the next step in his development and we’re looking forward to giving him that opportunity. He is a talented young driver, not only quick but thoughtful, and he understands exactly what the Team is looking for from him in the car. I am sure he will perform well and provide a solid starting point for our work over the weekend.”

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<h2>F1 Belgian Grand Prix: Mercedes’ Performance at Spa-Francorchamps</h2>

<img alt="Formula 1 Mercedes AMG W14" height="720" src="/uploads/2023/08/Formula-1-Mercedes-AMG-W14.jpg" width="1280" />

Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, may have had a favourable view of his and Mercedes' performance in Belgium after finishing fourth, but George Russell, who finished sixth, was glad to see the weekend end. The race started with Max Verstappen dropping five spots on the grid, which allowed Hamilton to advance one spot to fourth. On the first lap, he had a thrilling three-wide battle with Carlos Sainz and Oscar Piastri into Turn 1. After that, he was able to settle into third place. Then Verstappen went by, leaving Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to fight it out for third place. The Mercedes driver tried his hardest but ultimately finished fourth when his crew decided to take the fastest lap by pitting him at the conclusion of the race.

After suffering throughout the weekend, Russell said in an interview that the summer vacation had come at a good moment for him. But he was certain that he could have finished higher than sixth if the first lap disaster hadn't occurred.

F1: Mercedes' George Russell Replacement Revealed as British Driver to Miss Mexican GP Session

Frederik Vesti, a junior driver for the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, will take part in FP1 at the Mexican Grand Prix. The weekend's first 60-minute session at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodrguez will include Danish's driver debut behind the wheel of the W14.

The Silver Arrows planned to bring an important upgrade package to the Grand Prix of Emilia-Romagna in an effort to get back into title contention. Fans will have to wait an extra week to see whether there have been modifications to the FW14 after F1 cancelled the Imola GP owing to extreme floods in the region. Mercedes has announced that it will run the latest enhancements in next weekend's Monaco Grand Prix, despite worries that they may not work in the tight confines of the street track. As the 10 teams continue to fight it out on the track, a new meme war has broken out between Formula 1's two biggest teams, Mercedes and McLaren. In it, McLaren and Lando Norris poked fun at George Russel, but Mercedes F1's comeback was brutal, to say the least.

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<h2>Mercedes vs McLaren: Meme War</h2>

Lando Norris, using the official McLaren Twitter account, poked fun at George Russell's stance in the opening sequence. The tweet was an allusion to the official F1 opening title sequences, in which Russell strikes a stance with his head bent and both arms outstretched. In 2023, the stance was kind of a viral phenomenon as social media accounts from all across the sport employed photoshopping to position Russell in all sorts of circumstances. The McLaren social media team has now joined the ranks of those making fun of the position, with Norris donning Russell's signature stance.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
George Russell. Trendsetter. F1 race winner. <a href="https://t.co/b5FAzLwHLw">https://t.co/b5FAzLwHLw</a>
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) <a href="https://twitter.com/MercedesAMGF1/status/1658442701648306177?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Then Lando joined in, standing on the bridge outside McLaren's Surrey headquarters as Russell did in the opening season. Mercedes' social media manager commented on Norris's tweet in response to this conversation. Since George Russell has won a Formula One race and Lando Norris has not, the caption is an obvious swipe at Norris. In 2021, Lando Norris was in the lead from the gun in Russia and might have won his first race. But in the closing laps, it began to rain, and a delayed pit stop caused him to fall from first to seventh place. It goes without saying that he has not yet won his first race.

<h2>Mercedes New Upgrade</h2>

Mercedes has announced that it will run the latest upgrades in next weekend's Monaco Grand Prix, despite worries that they may not work in the tight confines of the street track. For a brief minute, it seemed as if the team was going to give fans a sneak peek at the new vehicle design through its social media channels. An official Mercedes account tweeted, "Admin drop the upgrade pics. Say no more..." Instead of sharing a photo of the new vehicle, the same W14 of Hamilton was posted with a photo of Russell placed on the front wing.

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Here are some of F1's responses to Mercedes's announcement of an upgrade. In the words of one user: "Probably faster than the current W14." Another commented, "Max Verstappen was found shaking and crying in his basement. Another era of Mercedes dominance starts now. In response, someone else said, "New frontwing. Codename: The Grid Eliminator."

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
*Admin drop the upgrade pics* 
 
Say no more... <a href="https://t.co/GZXbAmSoHX">pic.twitter.com/GZXbAmSoHX</a>
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) <a href="https://twitter.com/MercedesAMGF1/status/1659576840116158468?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Putting jokes to one side, Team principal Toto Wolff said during the Miami Grand Prix that the new design will include modifications to the car's exterior, floor, and front suspension.

F1: Hamilton's W14 Receives New “Upgrade” as Mercedes and McLaren Go on Meme War

Mercedes will run the latest upgrades in the Monaco Grand Prix this weekend, despite reservations about introducing big changes on a tight city track. Fans briefly believed the team might provide a peek at the new vehicle design on social media.

George Russell