George Russell saw Ferrari fix the problem they’ve had for years to help Lewis Hamilton win

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George Russell made a comment after the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix that highlights Ferrari’s best hope of beating Mercedes this year.

Russell started the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix on pole, but the Ferrari pit wall arguably outwitted their Mercedes counterparts to end the Silver Arrows’ perfect start to the season.

Some feel that Lewis Hamilton got lucky with the timing of a virtual safety car, which allowed him to make a cheap pit stop and re-emerge in the lead, but Mercedes have raised no such caveats.

Lewis Hamilton is now only missing a Grand Prix pole position for Ferrari 🏆 Predict when it will come?

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George Russell comments give Ferrari the formula to beat Mercedes

Ferrari engineer Carlo Santi informed Hamilton in the early stages of the Grand Prix that they were switching to ‘plan C’, an aggressive three-stop. He came in on lap 13 and forced Russell to follow suit.

While Mercedes stuck with the two-stop, Ferrari gave themselves a powerful tyre offset, one that allowed Hamilton to gain 19 seconds in eight laps at one stage.

In the post-race press conference, Russell explained how Ferrari took control of the race from second.

“If I was in the race on my own and there was no other drivers and I was doing a two-stop, I would not have pitted on lap 13,” he said. “Now, you’re never in the race on your own. You’re reacting to your competitors and they put us in a very challenging position to pit this early.”

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For years, Ferrari have been held back by their strategy department. This was perhaps most evident in 2022, when Charles Leclerc’s short-lived title battle with Max Verstappen exposed their poor execution, but has also cost them several victories since.

The phrase ‘we are checking’ has become something of a meme on social media, encapsulating their hesitant, back-foot approach.

That’s why, for the members of the Tifosi, Barcelona was so refreshing. Ferrari forced Mercedes’ hand rather than reacting, and while that approach won’t always work, it’s exactly how an underdog should behave.

Last year, Verstappen very nearly beat both McLaren drivers despite having a manifestly slower car, and a big part of the reason was that Red Bull consistently nailed their strategy while their opponents floundered. Even more so than outright speed, execution makes the difference in a title battle.

It’s true that McLaren hadn’t won a drivers’ championship since 2008, while Mercedes boast more recent winning experience (through Hamilton himself). But winning is a habit that the Silver Arrows had fallen out of, and they still need to prove they can withstand genuine pressure from a true rival.

For Ferrari, Barcelona should be the template going forward. As long as they’re a step behind, mirroring Mercedes makes little sense. They should be willing to risk their podium spot to go all-out for the win.