The German manufacturer has endured a bruising start to the 2024 season, with it yet to finish on the podium and currently lying in fourth in the constructors’ championship – just one point ahead of Aston Martin.
But while on paper its situation does not look promising, Russell thinks that Mercedes' fate has been exacerbated by tiny elements – and a relatively minor uplift in pace would change it dramatically.
“I think small things make a big difference to the overall result,” said Russell ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix.
“I think an extra tenth or two in qualifying and you are four positions higher on the grid. We wouldn't [in Japan] have then made the bold choice of starting on the hard, which, with the information we had at the time, was absolutely the correct decision. The race would have panned out very, very differently.
“We're in a battle of fine margins right now. We've been on the wrong end of that for the past few race weekends, at two circuits that I don't think really suit the characteristics of that car.”
With the Mercedes W15 struggling against the opposition in high-speed corners, its weakness has been exposed at recent venues like Jeddah, Australia and Suzuka.
Source: Autosport