Mercedes Making Headway on Race Starts with Behind-the-Scenes Efforts

According to George Russell, the Mercedes team is diligently working to enhance their race starts, a weakness that has hindered their performance despite having secured four front-row lockouts in the initial three Grands Prix and Sprint this season. Despite their struggles with starts, Mercedes has shown sufficient pace to rebound and secure victories in the first three races. Ferrari, meanwhile, has excelled in starts due to the smaller turbo in their cars, which allows for a quicker spin-up time and makes it easier to find the ideal moment to launch. Russell emphasized that while opportunities to practice starts are limited, the team is focusing on analyzing data to address this significant flaw. In an interview with Sky Germany during Pirelli tire testing in Germany, Russell stated, "There's a tremendous amount happening behind the scenes. As in any sport, a lot goes on that people don't see, and we're taking advantage of this testing opportunity to analyze the first three races and look ahead to the next couple of races." The team is utilizing simulator days to examine the initial three races and prepare for the upcoming sprint races in Miami and Montreal. Although they are not allowed to practice starts during tire testing, they are working diligently behind the scenes to analyze data and identify areas for improvement.