George Russell unsure about how Mercedes upgrades will fare at the 2024 F1 Imola Grand Prix

George Russell believes that it is difficult to predict how Mercedes upgrades will perform at the 2024 Imola GP. Speaking to media including Sportskeeda ahead of the race weekend, the Briton felt that they could be placed between second and fourth.

Mercedes upgraded their car in Miami and have brought more upgrades to Imola. However, with a spring weekend format in America and warmer temperatures, it was difficult to judge their progress. Given that the current race weekend is at a conventional circuit with a regular format, George Russell felt it would be a better circuit to gauge their performance. However, he felt that Red Bull will be ahead of the pack, while they could be in the mix with Ferrari, McLaren, and Aston Martin. At the moment, McLaren have surpassed them successfully, while Aston Martin trail them closely.

Asked by Sportskeeda, what Mercedes' expectations are from their upgrades at Imola, George Russell said:

“I think right now in Formula 1, it's difficult to know exactly where it's going to fall out. You know Red Bull is going to be in the front fighting for victory, but between the three next teams, Aston Martin seem very up and down as well. You really can't say, but I think we're glad that it's a conventional race weekend now and will allow us to build up during the weekend rather than just throwing a set down and hoping that it works.”

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George Russell believes that Kevin Magnussen penalty points should not be reviewed

George Russell believes that Kevin Magnussen’s scenario with his penalty points does not need to be reviewed. After flouting racing rules regularly in the last few race weekends, the Danish driver has collected ten penalty points, two away from a race ban.

If a driver collects 12 penalty points in 12 months, it results in a one-race ban. The Briton, who is the Director of the Grand Prix Drivers Association (GPDA), felt that a race ban is rare in F1 and if there was one, it was a good opportunity for a rookie to step in and earn an F1 outing.

Asked if the penalty points system needed a review, George Russell said:

“Not really sure if it needs looking at or not. To be honest if you look at the last 20 years, I don’t know how many drivers have been given a race ban. I can think of one there's been in 20 years. In football games, people get red cards quite regularly so you can look at it that there is a bit of opportunity for a young driver to show what they are capable of if a driver is deserving of a race ban. Maybe a race ban is a bit harsh but things shouldn’t go unpunished."

If Magnussen were to earn a race ban, it opens doors for another opportunity for Oliver Bearman to have an outing. The Ferrari junior is targeting the Haas drive for 2025 and could become the fourth British driver on the grid along with George Russell, Lando Norris, and Lewis Hamilton.

Nevertheless, the Haas driver has accepted his penalties and believes that in a team like theirs, he had no choice but to earn the penalties by playing the supportive role of aide Nico Hulkenberg. Currently, Haas have scored seven points in six races, where the 31-year-old driver used unusual racing tactics to block their rivals in at least three races.