According to George Russell, the Mercedes team is putting in considerable effort to improve their race starts, particularly in the lead-up to the Miami Grand Prix in May. Despite achieving four front-row lockouts in the first three Grands Prix and Sprint, neither Russell nor his teammate has managed to take the lead after the opening lap. The team's biggest weakness lies in their starts, but they have been able to recover and win the first three races due to their pace. Ferrari, on the other hand, has had the best starts so far this season, thanks to their smaller turbo, which allows them to find the optimal window to launch their car more easily.
Russell emphasized that while opportunities to practice race starts are limited, the team has been focusing on analyzing data to address their significant flaw. In an interview with Sky Germany during Pirelli tire testing in Germany, Russell stated, 'There is a huge amount going on behind the scenes.' He explained that the team has been utilizing simulator days to analyze the first three races and prepare for the upcoming ones, including the Miami and Montreal sprint races. Although they are not allowed to practice starts during tire testing, the team is working diligently to improve their performance.