Andrew Shovlin (Mercedes): “We’re not fast enough” / Formula 1

The 8th and 18th starting positions of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton gave an indication even before the start of the Chinese GP that the two Mercedes drivers had a tough race ahead of them. Indeed, the young Brit and seven-time world champion had his hands full working at the front and keeping the opposition behind them.

In the end, Russell crossed the finish line in sixth place, and his teammate, who had started from second to last row, was also able to look forward to new championship points in ninth place. Andrew Shovlin concludes in his analysis that not much more is possible.

Looking back, Mercedes’ chief engineer sums it up: “George couldn’t have made the most of it. He had a good start and was ahead of both Ferrari drivers, but we put too much pressure on the rear tires in the first stint and had to win earlier than planned.

“This early stop could have been more painful, but the two safety car periods were good for us and reduced the tire age difference. From there the race was very easy. We didn’t have enough speed to attack Sainz, but we had the speed to stay in front of Fernando,” says Brit.

“The race was not easy for Lewis, as he initially had a slight advantage on the soft tyres. Then he got stuck in traffic at the second corner on the inside lane and lost ground to those on the outside lane,” he says of the GP winner’s race 103 times, who led the factory team of the star after the current race. The season is left in the direction of Ferrari.

Shovlin added: “We made some changes to his car after the race, but obviously they didn’t improve it. That made qualifying and the race difficult. He had difficulty turning and had to use a lot of power, which put stress on the rear tires. And he emphasizes: ” We benefited from the fact that a few cars in front of us retired, but due to the early stages of the race we were lucky to get points.”

“It was clear from the start that it would be a difficult race for us. We don’t have enough speed at the moment and we didn’t qualify well. Our positions were as we thought they would be before the race,” explains the 50-year-old from Liverpool, and he promises: “We will work hard to ensure we are doing a better job in the next race in Miami.”

China-GP, Shanghai International Circuit

01. Max Verstappen (NL), Red Bull Racing, 1:40:52,554 h
02. Lando Norris (GB), McLaren, +13,773 sec
03. Sergio Pérez (MEX), Red Bull Racing, +19,160
04. Charles Leclerc (MC), Ferrari, +23,623
05. Carlos Sainz (E), Ferrari, +33,983
06. George Russell (GB), Mercedes, +38,724
07. Fernando Alonso (E), Aston Martin, +43,414
08. Oscar Piastri (AUS), McLaren, +56.198
09. Lewis Hamilton (GB), Mercedes, +57,986
10. Nico Hülkenberg (D), Haas, +1:00,476 min
11. Esteban Ocon (F), Alpine, +1:02,812
12. Alex Albon (T), Williams, +1:05,506
13. Pierre Gasly (F), Alpine, +1:09,223
14. Guanyu Zhou (RCH), Sauber, +1:11,689
15. Lance Stroll (CDN), Aston Martin, +1:22,768
16. Kevin Magnussen (DK), Haas, +1:27.553
17. Logan Sargeant (USA), Williams, +1:35,110
outside
Daniel Ricciardo (AUS), Racing Bull, collision
Yuki Tsunoda (J), Racing Bulls, Collision
Valtteri Bottas (FIN), clean, engine

World Championship Position (after 5 out of 24 Grands Prix and 1 out of 6 Sprints)

the driver
01. Verstappen 110 points
02. Perez 85
03. Leclerc 76
04. Sainz 69
05. Norris 58
06. Plate 38
07. Russell 33
08. Alonso 31
09. Hamilton 19
10. Walk 9
11. Tsunoda 7
12. Oliver Bearman (GB) 6
13. Hulkenberg 4
14. Magnussen 1
15. Alboni 0
16. Okon 0
17. Zhou 0
18. Ricciardo 0
19. 0 gas
20. Bota 0
21. Sergeant 0

Builders Cup
01. Red Bull Racing 195 Punkte
02. Ferrari 151
03. McLaren 96
04. Mercedes 52
05. Aston Martin 40
06. Running Bull 7
07. Exactly 5
08. Williams 0
09. Alpine 0
10. Sauber 0