New Delhi, May 19 : George Russell has sounded the alarm on Mercedes' 2025 Formula 1 campaign, admitting that underlying issues in the car's performance could derail the team's hopes of competing at the front as the season enters its warmer phase. The British driver endured his most underwhelming Grand Prix of the season at Imola, finishing seventh after starting third on the grid ' a result that left him visibly frustrated and searching for answers.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, Russell didn't hide his concern about the direction of Mercedes' development. 'The trends are pretty clear. When it's hot, we're slow. When it's cold, we're quick. That was the same last year,' he said, referencing the recurring struggle Mercedes has faced across two consecutive campaigns.

Despite Mercedes introducing upgraded front suspension and a new front wing at Imola ' parts that had raised hopes within the garage ' the car once again faltered when track temperatures rose. While Russell's disappointing result was partially shaped by an unfortunate Virtual Safety Car timing and a questionable strategic call, the core issue, he said, lies deeper than race-day circumstances.

'We've been doing everything with the setup to try and find solutions, but there's clearly something more fundamental in the car,' he acknowledged.

Russell currently sits fourth in the drivers' standings, 47 points adrift of championship leader Oscar Piastri. While the Mercedes driver has managed to punch above the car's true performance so far, with four podiums in the first six rounds, the limitations became stark at Imola.

'It's not the first race this season where we've been slower than Ferrari, or even on par with Williams,' Russell admitted. 'We've just somehow managed to get a result out of it on those occasions. But today, we were very lucky to finish P7 in all honesty.'

Mercedes' second driver, rookie Kimi Antonelli, had a disappointing home debut as well, forced to retire with a throttle issue. Yet, with Verstappen lacking consistent support at Red Bull and Ferrari also faltering in recent races, Mercedes remains second in the Constructors' Championship.

However, they trail McLaren ' now clearly the form team ' by a daunting 132 points.

Russell's assessment reveals a growing concern within the Brackley-based squad about their inability to adapt to different track temperatures. The car's tyre performance appears to fluctuate drastically depending on conditions, echoing Mercedes' troubles from last season when they were more competitive in cooler races but lost pace in the summer heat.

The 2025 car, which was expected to be a significant evolution, still seems to carry forward the same inconsistency.

'I wouldn't say we're running out of ideas to solve the tyres,' Russell noted, 'but as I said, it's sort of baked into the car.' Drawing parallels with Ferrari's own past struggles, he pointed out how the Scuderia had gone from a car that excelled in qualifying to one that now performs better in race trim ' albeit without fully understanding the change. 'We need to find a better compromise, especially ahead of the next race,' Russell urged. 'We're approaching summer, and it doesn't really bode well for us. We need to think quick.'

/IANS