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Motorsport

Lydia Mee

Karun Chandhok urges George Russell to demand Mercedes answers amid "new territory"

George Russell Karun Chandhok Mercedes Lewis Hamilton Deficit Sky Sports

George Russell finds himself in "new territory" and must demand engineering answers to cure a severe straightline speed deficit, according to former Formula 1 driver and Sky Sports pundit Karun Chandhok.

Russell's Belgian Grand Prix ended on the opening lap of the race at Spa-Francorchamps after a collision with seven-time champion and his former team-mate Lewis Hamilton.

While evaluating the incident after the race, Chandhok noted Hamilton lost control in turbulent air behind Max Verstappen and stressed that Russell was the "innocent party" who left sufficient racing room. Hamilton was handed a five-second penalty for the incident.

The retirement only compounded a deeply frustrating weekend for Russell, who was plagued by an unexplained lack of pace and an estimated straightline speed deficit of four-tenths of a second. Chandhok warned that Mercedes cannot allow the Briton to continue fighting an unequal battle.

"He's not really ever been on the back foot, has he? He was the lead driver at Williams for all those years; he kind of had the upper hand on Lewis when he arrived at Mercedes, so it is new territory for him," Chandhok explained during the Sky Sports F1 broadcast.

"I think he's got to go back and try and get clear answers from an engineering sense. We've all had conversations this weekend around the paddock with people from Mercedes, and the sense we're getting is they don't have a clear answer.

George Russell, Mercedes (Photo by: Sona Maleterova / Getty Images)

"So they've got to go back, they've got to look at the information they've got on the data, have a couple of days to digest it between now and Budapest, because he can't go on to the next race weekend and the next race weekend with a deficit in terms of straightline speed.

"You're taking a pencil to a sword fight, so there's no point doing that. He has got to get an answer, and if it means they have to change the power unit, or change the battery, or change something and take a penalty, then maybe they have to do that to try and clear away this doubt.

"As a racing driver, arriving at a weekend doubting the package or the car you've got, whether you've got a fair fight, is an awful place to be. So he will be looking for clear engineering-led answers."

Photos from Belgian GP - Sunday

50 Formula 1

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari; Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Nico Hülkenberg, Audi F1 Team

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac Racing, Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team, Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Lando Norris, McLaren

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Carlos Sainz, Williams

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, George Russell, Mercedes

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Lando Norris, McLaren

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

George Russell, Mercedes

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

George Russell, Mercedes

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Pierre Gasly, Alpine

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Franco Colapinto, Alpine

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Alpine F1 Team pit lane message

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing, Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Alexander Albon, Williams, Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Andy Stevenson, Sporting Director, Aston Martin F1 Team

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

George Russell, Mercedes

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Nico Hulkenberg, Audi F1 Team

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Jacques Villeneuve arrives in the paddock.

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Franco Colapinto, Alpine

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

George Russell, Mercedes

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Carlos Sainz, Williams

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Belgian Grand Prix - Sunday

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