George Russell has expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome of the Belgian GP. The British driver started in sixth place at the main event in Spa, and managed to gain a position during the race. However, the Mercedes driver labels it as the ‘worst performance of the season’. Russell is particularly concerned that the W16 could not keep up with the top, while the cooler conditions at Spa were ideal for the car.
George Russell started the 2025 season with six top-five finishes. The Brit also claimed victory in Canada, but the upward trend at Mercedes seems to have faded in the last three races. A fifth place in Austria was followed by a tenth-place finish in Great Britain. At Spa-Francorchamps, Russell did finish in the top five again, but the Brit now labels the Belgian race as his ‘worst performance of the season’.
Previously, the W16 had particularly struggled in warmer conditions. The fact that the car did not compete at the top in the rain-soaked Spa-Francorchamps is a cause for concern for Russell. “Maximum in terms of final result, but very disappointing in terms of performance,” the Mercedes driver summarizes his Belgian race. “We really need to understand what’s going on and why we’ve taken such a step back. You would say that today’s conditions are ideal for our car, and yet it’s again the worst performance of the season.”
Russell Seeks an Explanation
Russell has a suspicion about where things went wrong for Mercedes in Belgium. “We made a change to the front wing in Barcelona. After that, we took a slightly different direction to address the issue with the front wing change, and since that moment, we have clearly taken a big step back,” Russell continues. “So it could be as simple as going back to something we had earlier in the season. Of course, you can’t do that with the front wing, but as for the rest of the setup…”
However, Russell is not certain about this. What the Brit does know is that the W16 ‘doesn’t feel as nice to drive’ compared to the beginning of the season. “I think Kimi (Antonelli, ed.) and I are making more mistakes together because the car is harder to control.”
