George Russell’s Insight on Identical W15 Setups Contradicts Lewis Hamilton’s Claims at Bahrain GP

In a surprising revelation, George Russell countered Lewis Hamilton’s claim regarding their differing setups in the W15s at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Russell’s assertion that the setups were “pretty similar” contradicts Hamilton’s earlier statements.

Key Takeaways:

• George Russell has directly contradicted Lewis Hamilton’s assertion of different setups in their W15 F1 cars, emphasizing that both cars were set up “pretty similar.”
• The Bahrain Grand Prix qualifying highlighted the performance gap: Russell took P3, while Hamilton secured P9. On race day, Russell finished fifth, and Hamilton seventh, hindered by overheating issues related to the car’s cooling configuration.
• Despite Hamilton’s discomfort with his race pace and belief in varying setups, Russell maintained that both cars were similarly set up, with his car more focused on race performance during the qualifying rounds.

In the high-stakes world of Formula 1, the setup of a car can make a significant difference in performance, a factor highlighted in the recent Bahrain Grand Prix. Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton presented contrasting views on the setup of their respective W15 cars. Russell, the emerging talent in the team, asserted that the setups of both cars were largely identical, countering Hamilton’s narrative of a distinct setup for each.

Hamilton, who is entering his final season with Mercedes before moving to Ferrari, had expressed concerns about his car’s performance. In a candid interaction with the media, Hamilton shared his experiences:

“[On Thursday] during my work, we were doing identical car setups, and I was feeling great. We veered off – he went one way, and I went the other. You could say that the one I was on is not good on a single lap, but I hope it’s good in the race. I wasn’t comfortable with my race pace [in practice]. So I changed the car to hopefully make the race pace better but we’ll see if that’s really the case.”

However, Russell offered a different perspective, downplaying the alleged differences:

“Many people have said this. I don’t really know the big differences, to be honest, because as far as I’m aware with the cars we’re pretty similar. I don’t really focus too much on his set-up. Mine was actually more set up for the race than the set-up he ran. At least it was on Friday [for qualifying].”

The discrepancy in views between Russell and Hamilton marks an intriguing chapter in the Mercedes team dynamics. As Hamilton transitions to a new chapter with Ferrari, Russell is gearing up to assume the role of the lead driver in Mercedes. This development in their relationship and contrasting viewpoints on technical aspects such as car setup are indicative of the competitive nature and high stakes in Formula 1 racing. With the season unfolding, it will be fascinating to see how these dynamics evolve and what impact they have on the team’s performance in upcoming races.