"Everyone's looking at me, I didn't design it": When George Russell awkwardly tried to deflect how strange the Mercedes 'zero-pod' concept looked

Mercedes driver George Russell awkwardly tried to deflect a question regarding the team's decision to introduce a 'zero-pod' design ahead of the 2022 season. The German team caught everyone's attention on the first day of the pre-season testing in Bahrain with the drastic concept that set it apart from its rivals.

While many had gone for a downwash design, the Brackley-based outfit went for a zero-pod concept in its attempt to comply with the new ground effect regulations as it was its answer to achieve maximum downforce by a distribution of airflow. Although the concept was better for airflow, it hampered the team in generating downforce from the floor of the car and caused a lot of bouncing as compared to a downwash concept.

Many drivers were left stunned by the team's decision. In the first episode of season 5 of the Netflix series "Drive to Survive", Russell finds himself in the middle of a conversation about the concept with former Aston Martin driver Sebastian Vettel.

"I'm not an engineer, I'm just a driver," George Russell said. [01:46]

When Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc too asked George Russell about the design, he replied:

"Everyone's looking at me, I didn't design it."

After winning only one race in 2022, Russell's victory in Brazil, the German team abandoned the concept in mid-2023 and went to a more popular downwash concept similar to Red Bull. In the three years of the ground-effect regulations, he fared better than his ex-teammate Lewis Hamilton as he claimed three race wins to his fellow Brit's two victories and outscored twice in three years as well.

---

George Russell comments on his area of improvement ahead of the 2025 season

Mercedes driver George Russell stated that he believed that he could still improve on his race pace in the upcoming 2025 season after a strong showing over one lap in the past three years.

On the team's official website, the three-time F1 race winner, who will become team leader in 2025, spoke about the quality of race management:

"My goals are very much the same and the approach has not changed. Formula 1 is so unique, so you cannot really set goals like that. If I say that I want to win four races this year because last year I won three, I am not going to be satisfied if I win five but the car is capable of 10. I tend to keep my goals on more details, targets. Last year, Qualifying was my strength, but my race pace was not always the best.

I know I have the speed over one lap but there is no reason why I should not be able to convert that over the course of a race. I need to work on some elements to achieve that, and there will be some other goals – that perhaps are not clear to the fans at home but are at the forefront of my mind."

Russell will have a new teammate this year in the form of rookie, Kimi Antonelli, who will be replacing Lewis Hamilton after the seven-time world champion made his move to Ferrari.