George Russell wondered why no driver wanted to switch to slick, dry tires from intermediate wet tires at the 2022 F1 Imola GP.
Daniel Ricciardo was the first driver to take the plunge, switching to intermediate tires on lap 16.
The 2022 F1 Imola GP was full of surprising twists and turns. Championship leader Charles Leclerc spun out in the closing stages of the race, losing out entirely to Max Verstappen and Red Bull.
Changing conditions were a major factor in the race, with most of the grid unsure which tires were best in intermittent conditions.
Russell was unsure why no driver took the risk of shifting to dry tires as he himself was pretty convinced the track favored slick tires. The Mercedes driver said:
“I don’t know why someone didn’t take the risk at the back. It was clear to me three laps before my stop that slicks were needed. The tires are very difficult to manage. When the track is dry, they degrade very much quickly, when it’s too wet you can’t keep the temperature.”
George Russell claims tire warming regulations make it very difficult for drivers
George Russell criticized the new FIA regulations, which dropped the tire blanket temperatures from 90 to 70 degrees centigrade.
The Englishman claims the new lower temperatures make it much tougher for drivers and teams to keep heat in their tires.
He continued:
“I think the regulation with the low temperatures in the electric blankets makes it very difficult for the drivers and teams. Luckily, the track was drying but when we were at the drivers’ parade and how much water we had at that point, with the temperature it would have been a nightmare for everyone to run on the wet tires.”
Russell is also very unhappy with his Mercedes W13’s porpoising problems, claiming he has been suffering from chest and back pains after sessions in the silver car.
The Mercedes W13 has seen more pronounced porpoising than the other cars on the grid, with the team terminating its eradication as ‘priority number one.’
Russell said:
“When the car is in the right window and the tires are in the right window, the car – except for the bouncing – feels really good to drive. But the bouncing: it really takes your breath away. It’s the most extreme I’ve I really hope we find a solution and I hope every team struggling with the bouncing finds a solution, because it’s not sustainable for the drivers to continue.” “This is the first weekend I’ve truly been struggling with my back, and almost like chest pains from the severity of the bouncing. It’s just what we have to do to go and do the fastest laps.”
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Despite his issues, George Russell managed to place his bouncing W13 in P4 at the end of Imola’s race despite having started P11 on the grid earlier on Sunday.
Edited by Rachel Syiemlieh
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