Russell brands Mercedes W13 ‘a killer to drive’

George Russell thinks the description “diva” does not even do justice to how difficult the Mercedes W13 is to drive.

Mercedes, eight-time consecutive Constructors’ World Champions, have endured a difficult first five races of the season.

They have collected 95 points to sit third in the standings, in a kind of no-man’s land with big gaps to second and fourth, but the campaign has been a largely negative one for them so far.

The problem has been the performance of the new car, which ‘porpoises’ and is thought to have the potential to produce much more pace than it does, if only somehow it can be unleashed.

Russell has also revealed he has suffered physical pain from the bouncing effect and as he prepares for the next race, the Spanish Grand Prix, he has offered more detail about his experiences in the car.

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What will @GeorgeRussell63 choose? This… or that? #WeLivePerformance @MercedesAMGF1 pic.twitter.com/a8dmbrxKEV

— Mercedes-AMG Motorsport (@amgmotorsport) May 12, 2022

“Toto (Wolff, team principal) is throwing the word ‘diva’ around a lot, but I think that’s a bit of an understatement because it’s so unpredictable,” said the Briton, quoted by Motorsport.com. “When the thing just starts bouncing in the corners, it’s a killer to drive.”

At the last race in Miami, Russell looked more competitive in free practice but then fell away in qualifying before a