George Russell admits he was awestruck by the performance of the Mercedes W11 during the Sakhir Grand Prix weekend.
Stepping up from Williams to replace Lewis Hamilton after his positive Covid-19 test, the Briton took to the all-black Silver Arrow like a duck to water and likely would have won had it not been for a tyre mix-up after his second pit-stop followed by a puncture.
It’s still unknown at this point if Russell will get another chance to race at Mercedes in Abu Dhabi, as Hamilton continues his recovery from the coronavirus.
But asked to evaluate his feeling on the W11, George gave it a glowing review.
“It’s a work of art, honestly, everything about it,” he told Channel 4. “It’s so smooth, so nice over the bumps, so much downforce, so much grip.
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“I feel in control of it. A lot of cars, when they’re not perfectly balanced the car is controlling you, and you’re reacting to the car.
“But as the driver in that Mercedes I’m controlling it, and that’s just such a joy. That’s what you want in a racing car and that’s what you get in this Mercedes.”
His praise for Mercedes though wasn’t just limited to the car, as he praised the whole operation and one team member inparticular.
“This team is just setting the bar so high,” added Russell. “[After being reserve driver in 2018,] I knew how good they were but coming back again, seeing it fresh, and Lewis’ team, Bono (Pete Bonnington) and the guys around.
“Bono has such a soothing voice, you almost want him to read you a bedtime story sometime.
“Great bunch of guys and hopefully I get the chance again soon.”
Russell’s opportunity at Mercedes though did come at the expense of Williams, who couldn’t quite match the level they had with the 22-year-old.
“There’s no doubt we missed George, not just because of his pace but his guidance on the car and the tyres particularly,” explained head of vehicle performance Dave Robson.
“So, yeah, not easy. The value of experience is enormous and for sure it’s been a little bit harder than it could have been. But, I think, to be fair [to Latifi and Aitken], the two of them have done a good job.”