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Hamilton Offers to Sacrifice Upgrades to Aid Russell in US GP After Austin Q3 Crash
Lewis Hamilton has made a generous offer to forgo his own car upgrades to help his Mercedes teammate George Russell in the wake of Russell’s high-speed crash during the United States Grand Prix qualifying session. The crash occurred in Q3 at Turn 19, where Russell lost control of his Mercedes, skidded across the gravel, and hit the barriers, bringing out the yellow flags. The incident damaged Russell’s car, which had been fitted with the latest upgrades from Mercedes.
Mercedes had brought new upgrades for both Hamilton and Russell to Austin, but with only two sets available—one for each driver—there are no spares to replace the parts damaged in Russell’s crash. This leaves Russell in a difficult position, as he may be forced to revert to an older specification for the race. This downgrade in parts could severely limit his performance, particularly as he will be starting from sixth on the grid.
Under normal circumstances, changing to a previous development version would result in a driver starting from the pitlane, as per Formula 1’s parc ferme rules. However, because this is a sprint race weekend, the rules differ slightly. Article 40.4 of the F1 sporting regulations allows such changes without a penalty, provided that the team can prove there is a shortage of parts and that the replacement parts have been used in a previous qualifying session or race.
While Russell is allowed to make the changes without incurring a grid penalty, the older parts will likely hinder his chances of moving forward during the race. Recognizing this, Hamilton, who was eliminated in Q1, offered to give up his own upgraded parts to help his teammate. However, Russell has confirmed that Mercedes is unlikely to accept Hamilton’s offer, as it would require a significant amount of work to modify both cars before the race.
“Right now, the concern is about the parts,” Russell said following his Q3 incident. “We will have to revert on the upgrades. Lewis has kindly offered his ones, but we’re not going to swap. So I don’t know what’s going to be happening now, but that’s the biggest concern.”
Mercedes is currently assessing its options, trying to determine the best course of action for Russell’s car ahead of the race. However, swapping parts between Hamilton’s and Russell’s cars would involve extensive work, making it unlikely that the team will pursue this option.
Russell’s Performance Struggles and Crash Explanation
Russell explained that the crash was the result of him pushing too hard to compensate for an unexpected drop in pace. He admitted that the team had been struggling with performance throughout the weekend, despite being competitive earlier in the season. Russell was trying to push the car to its limits in an attempt to find extra performance that simply wasn’t there, which led to the costly error in Q3.
“All season, when the car is in the sweet spot, we are fighting for poles and wins,” Russell explained. “Yesterday, we were both fighting for pole, and today we were both almost out in Q1. I really pushed it on that last lap, and ultimately, trying to find performance that wasn’t there, I paid the price. I’m really just disappointed with myself, because everyone’s worked so hard to bring the upgrades, and now that’s in the bin.”
The crash has added to Mercedes’ ongoing frustration with its performance this season. Russell acknowledged that the team has been inconsistent throughout the year, with the car’s performance fluctuating dramatically from one session to the next. He cited the car’s interaction with the tires and changing environmental conditions, such as temperature and wind, as potential reasons for the sudden drop in pace between Friday’s qualifying session and Saturday’s Q3.
“We don’t have the answers because we keep finding ourselves in this position,” Russell said. “It is how the car is interacting with the tires. The temperature, small changes; the wind, small changes. But it has been the story of the season—old upgrades, new upgrades. Either we’re there, or we’re half a second or six-tenths off.”
Despite the setbacks, Mercedes remains focused on finding the best solution for Russell’s car and maximizing their chances for the United States Grand Prix. While Hamilton’s selfless offer may not come to fruition, it reflects the strong camaraderie between the Mercedes drivers as they both look to overcome the challenges they face in Austin.
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