Mercedes reveals radio failure led to Russell F1 Sakhir GP tyre mix-up
Toto Wolff has revealed a radio failure led to the tyre mix-up that cost George Russell a likely maiden Formula 1 victory in Sunday's Sakhir Grand Prix
In his first appearance for Mercedes as Lewis Hamilton's stand-in, Williams regular Russell dominated the majority of the race at the Bahrain International Circuit, taking the lead at the start.
Russell built up a lead of almost three seconds over Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas through the opening stint before pitting, and ran over five seconds clear after gaining more time though the pit cycle.
But when the safety car was called on lap 59, Mercedes tried to double-stack its cars in the pits, only for the team to be slow in fitting Russell's tyres.
The pit crew released Russell, but found it had accidentally fitted the tyres meant for Bottas to the British driver's car. As a result, Bottas had his existing hard tyres re-fitted before being released again.
Asked by Autosport how the tyre mix-up happened, Mercedes team principal Wolff revealed that a radio issue meant the call had not come through to Russell's side of the garage.
"What happened is that when we called the pit crews out, they get a call on the radios and bring the right tyres out," Wolff said.
"One side of the garage, George's side, didn't hear the pit call.
"We had a radio that didn't function, and then the wrong guys with the wrong tyres came out."
Russell was forced to pit on the next lap to change back onto his own tyres, but is under investigation for running on Bottas' compounds.
"We knew immediately when Valtteri didn't have his tyres, we knew that Valtteri's tyres were on George's car," Wolff said.
"We fitted Valtteri's old hard tyre that we just took off to the car again, and we knew we needed to pit George again."
Despite the issues, Russell was still in a position to win the race in Sakhir, fighting back from fifth on the restart with 19 laps to go to sit second before a puncture forced another pit stop.
Russell ultimately finished the race ninth, and admitted afterwards that the setbacks "really bloody hurt" after coming so close to a debut win for Mercedes.
"The slow puncture probably came from him having to run off the line so many times in order to overtake," said Wolff.
"As for the race win? I don't know. I think our planner said he would catch up to Sergio and maybe DRS would have helped us, but I'm not sure [if he would have won].
"Sergio drove a brilliant, brilliant race, and deserves the race win because we made too many mistakes, and were unlucky with the puncture."
Previous article
Leclerc handed three-place grid penalty after Sakhir GP opening lap collision
Next article
Russell escapes Sakhir GP disqualification after Mercedes tyre mix-up
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Drivers | George Russell |
| Teams | Mercedes |
| Author | Luke Smith |
Albert Park Circuit Modifications Project
Mercedes-AMG F1 Team: Bahrain GP Race Debrief
The 'new' F1 drivers who need to improve at Imola
After a pandemic-hit winter of seat-swapping, F1 kicked off its season with several new faces in town, other drivers adapting to new environments, and one making a much-anticipated comeback. BEN ANDERSON looks at who made the most of their opportunity and who needs to try harder…
The delay that quashed Aston Martin’s last F1 venture
Aston Martin’s only previous foray into Formula 1 in the late 1950s was a short-lived and unsuccessful affair. But it could have been so different, says NIGEL ROEBUCK
Verstappen exclusive: Why lack of car-racing titles won't hurt Red Bull's ace
Max Verstappen’s star quality in Formula 1 is clear. Now equipped with a Red Bull car that is, right now, the world title favourite and the experience to support his talent, could 2021 be the Dutchman’s year to topple the dominant force of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes?
Are we at peak F1 right now?
For many, many years Formula 1 has strived to do and to be better on all fronts. With close competition, a growing fanbase, a stable political landscape and rules in place to encourage sustainability, 2021 is on course to provide an unexpected peak
How crucial marginal calls will decide the Red Bull vs Mercedes battle in F1 2021
The longer Red Bull can maintain a performance edge over Mercedes, the better the odds will be in the team’s favour against the defending world champions. But as the Bahrain Grand Prix showed, many more factors will be critical in the outcome of the 2021 Formula 1 World Championship
How Williams’ new structure adheres to a growing F1 trend
Williams held out against the tide for many years but, as MARK GALLAGHER explains, the age of the owner-manager is long gone
When a journeyman driver's F1 career lasted just 800m
Nikita Mazepin’s Formula 1 debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix lasted mere corners before he wiped himself out in a shunt, but his financial backing affords him a full season. Back in 1993 though, Marco Apicella was an F1 driver for just 800m before a first corner fracas ended his career. Here’s the story of his very short time at motorsport’s pinnacle
The nightmare timing that now hinders Mercedes
Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton took victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix despite, for a change, not having the quickest car. But any hopes of developing its W12 to surpass Red Bull's RB16B in terms of outright speed could not have come at a worse time.
