Latest news with #W16F1
Newsweek
05-07-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
George Russell Frustrated With Unusual Trait of Mercedes F1 Car
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Mercedes driver George Russell has voiced his frustration about an unusual trait of Mercedes' W16 F1 car that makes it temperature-sensitive. Russell pointed out that the car tends to lose performance at hot Grand Prix venues, but remains dominant under cold weather conditions. This phenomenon was even highlighted last year by Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, who pointed out that he was unaware of its root cause. With the probability of rain at the British Grand Prix, Russell voiced his frustration because his car's performance was dependent on the weather. The Briton was fifth-fastest in the first practice session, but the second session saw him drop to eighth place. When asked how close he expected to be to the cars at the front, Russell said: George Russell of Great Britain and Mercedes walks in the paddock during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit on July 4, 2025 in Northampton, United Kingdom. George Russell of Great Britain and Mercedes walks in the paddock during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit on July 4, 2025 in Northampton, United Kingdom. Kym Illman "Well, after today, not very close, but it's been a bit warmer today. The track was 40 degrees [Celsius], and I hope the rest of the weekend it cools down. "So it's a little bit frustrating for us that every single week we are at the mercy of the weather, and we need to improve that, especially now we're entering the summer months. We're doing everything we can to improve it. "I think our fortunes will turn slightly for the rest of the weekend, and it will come towards us. But as I said, we can't be at the mercy of the weather, and we are right now." Despite the car performing well in cold weather, Russell is hoping that the British GP doesn't turn out to be a wet race. He said: "Coldness, definitely [is what we want]. If it's wet in qualifying, definitely excited for that. "It's a bit of a unique one, because the wet tyres actually deg [Degrade] more than dry tyres. "I don't want to get too bogged up in the details here, but actually, a wet race probably wouldn't be ideal. But we just want it nice and... cold and dry would be ideal." Ferrari's SF25 has been showcasing great progress after a new floor was introduced last weekend. Though not at par with the dominant pace of the McLaren MCL39, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were second and third fastest in the second practice session, below Lando Norris. Pointing out Ferrari's improvement, Russell added: "Yeah, for sure. Ferrari have really turned it up for the last couple of races. "They've been strong in race pace all season, really, but they've been having bad qualifying. "But I think now that we're entering summer, everyone's overheating a little bit more, and we've probably taken a step backwards, and they've taken a step forward purely because of the temperature. "That's probably not great for them for some reasons, but it's definitely not great for us for other reasons too."
Newsweek
03-07-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Mercedes F1 to Run Celebratory Livery at Silverstone with Splash of Orange
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Mercedes Formula One team will be running a special livery for this weekend's British Grand Prix at Silverstone to celebrate the launch of the CONCEPT AMG GT XX. Although subtle, the W16 F1 car will feature an orange Mercedes logo on the nose instead of the conventional silver emblem. The same will apply to Mercedes-AMG's logos on the race suits - orange branding over black, adding a mild pop to an overall clean look. However, the crash helmets of both drivers have yet to be unveiled. One could expect Mercedes to follow the norm by adding a hint of orange. George Russell of United Kingdom and Mercedes during the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on June 29, 2025 in Spielberg, Austria. George Russell of United Kingdom and Mercedes during the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on June 29, 2025 in Spielberg, Austria. Guenther Iby/ Images Inspired by F1 technology and Mercedes-AMG's revolutionary AMG One, the CONCEPT AMG GT XX is the brand's answer to an advanced electric saloon producing 1,360 bhp. Addressing the updated livery for this weekend, Mercedes said in a statement: "It's all to do with our celebration of the three-pointed star's past, present, and future, as F1 gets set to celebrate its 75th anniversary, at the home of the very first F1 World Championship race in 1950. "The future will be seen with the CONCEPT AMG GT XX, Mercedes-AMG's pioneering technology programme, that recently launched at Mercedes-AMG's Affalterbach headquarters with George, Kimi and Valtteri. "A concept car that offers insight into the first series-production model based on high performance will be on display at Silverstone. The concept car's eye-catching sunset beam orange livery is inspired by the revolutionary Mercedes C111 vehicles of the 1960s and 1970s. "The sunset beam orange accents will feature on the W16 including the famous three-pointed stars on its nose and engine cover, driver overalls, and both George and Kimi will run special helmets incorporating the colour in celebration of the CONCEPT AMG GT XX launch. "The high-voltage battery in the CONCEPT AMG GT XX is a completely new development. It benefits from all the experience from the AMG ONE and Formula 1 as well as the knowledge of the best engineers from Mercedes-AMG in Affalterbach and Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains (HPP) in Brixworth." Markus Schäfer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Chief Technology Officer, Development and Procurement, said: "The best minds in our global R&D network have contributed their extensive expertise – from Mercedes-Benz in Sindelfingen and Untertürkheim to Mercedes-AMG in Affalterbach and YASA in the UK to our Formula 1 drivetrain experts at Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains in Brixworth. "Together, they have developed the CONCEPT AMG GT XX and are providing an insight into pioneering drivetrain technology and the future of performance."
