At the high speeds in Azerbaijan, the drivers – especially the two Mercedes drivers – were shaken up violently. After chasing the times, Russell warned: “It’s brutal. I think it’s only a matter of time before there’s a major accident.”
The former Williams driver explained: “A lot of us can hardly keep the car on the racing line with these bumps. We’re going around the last two corners at 300 km/h, we’re going to skid and you can see on the tarmac how tight the cars drive over the ground.”
Strong vibrations were also noticeable in the car of the two Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. For Russell it is “unnecessary” to drive a car at 200 km/h just a few millimeters above the ground.
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“So a catastrophe is inevitable,” complained the Briton and explained: “I can hardly see the braking zone because I jump so much. When you get to the last corner, you have walls on both sides and the car bounces on the ground back and forth.”
Russell questions vehicle generation
Russell had already started a fundamental debate about the new generation of cars on Friday. “It’s really not comfortable to drive. I don’t know what the future of this era will bring, but I don’t think it’s right to drive like this for the next four or more years,” said the 24-year-old.
The seven-time champion was at a loss as to why the problems that seemed to be solved at the Grand Prix in Catalonia are now returning in Baku – and criticized the team.
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Fotocredit: Getty Images
Hamilton uncomprehending: “It’s unbelievable”
“The car was stable in Barcelona and the bouncing is back in full force here. It’s unbelievable that we can’t get it under control,” said Hamilton.
The superstar also worried about his health. “At some point it really becomes a safety problem. We drive through the curves at 290 km/h and the car hits the ground extremely. It’s just not possible in the long run,” he explained and reported on health consequences: “I was able to on Friday I couldn’t finish my long run, the car kept touching down so hard. My back was broken. I have physiotherapy and acupuncture every night and I was in a lot of pain this morning.”
However, apparently not all vehicles in Baku suffer from bouncing as much as the Silver Arrows. Ex-teammate Valtteri Bottas said on Friday that he had no major problems with the vibrations.
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