George Russell disagrees with Toto Wolff’s assessment of Mercedes’ ‘diva’ car

Mercedes are struggling to unlock the potential of their F1 car

George Russell finished fifth in Miami (Getty Images)

George Russell has called the Mercedes car a “killer” to drive and says Toto Wolff’s assessment of the car being a “diva” is an understatement.

Wolff has described the Mercedes car as being on an ”edge” as Russell and Lewis Hamilton has struggled to come to grips with it this season.

Mercedes are yet to crack Formula One’s new car regulations and have been left behind by Red Bull and Ferrari due to their problems with ‘porpoising’.

“Toto is throwing the word ‘diva’ around a lot about the car - but that is an understatement because it is so unpredictable,” Russell said after finishing fifth in Miami.

“There is a fast car in there but when the thing starts bouncing, going into corners, it is a killer to drive.”

Wolff has admitted Mercedes are “flying in the fog” as they attempt to solve the conundrum, and the team now have two weeks before the Spanish Grand Prix to find some pace.

“It’s clear that there is potential in the car, which is fast,” Wolff said. “But we just don’t understand how to unlock the potential. It’s a car that is super-difficult to drive and on the edge, dipping in and out of the performance window – more out than in.

“And dissecting the data with a scalpel is just a painful process because it takes a very long time and as a matter of fact the data sometimes doesn’t show what the drivers tell us.”