George Russell follows Lewis Hamilton's lead and slams Mercedes to leave F1 future in doubt

George Russell has echoed Lewis Hamilton's sentiments by criticising the performance of the Mercedes car, despite a stern warning that speaking out could lead to his sacking.

Both Russell, 26, and Hamilton, 39, have found it tough to match the speed of frontrunners Max Verstappen and Lando Norris in the F1 rankings. Hamilton hasn't held back from voicing his frustrations about the vehicle, likening it to a "plank of wood" in a scathing review. Following suit, Russell has described the vehicle as more unpredictable than at any time since he started with the team in 2022.

Ex-F1 chief Guenther Steiner recently cautioned Russell, pointing out that Hamilton's potential switch to Ferrari means he can afford to be outspoken without risking his spot. Steiner suggested that Russell, who hails from King's Lynn, should tread carefully when it comes to publicly rebuking his team.

Ignoring these cautions, Russell didn't hold back in airing his grievances. Russell stated: "In 2022, in the sort of porpoising era, without doubt that was far more unpleasant. But because of the nature of those cars, it was far harder to get close to the limit because you were literally jumping around every single corner, and you knew that it was going to bite you. The problem we've got with this car at the moment is you think it's not going to bite you, and you can achieve a really great lap.

"Then, suddenly nothing changes, or you feel nothing changes, and the following lap you lose all of that performance. Without a doubt this is probably the most inconsistent our performance has been as a team in probably forever."

Before the summer break, Mercedes had a strong run of form, winning three out of four races. However, in the last seven races, they've