Mercedes have taken aim at their driver George Russell regarding a strange radio call he made during the Spanish GP.
As the Brit came through turn 5 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, he reported that it was raining on the circuit.
However, after consulting with an engineer, Russell realised the wetness he felt was simply his own sweat.
Russell joined in the fun, taking to social media to post a video, where he walks out to the paddock and puts his palms up to the sky.
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He then says: “Is it raining? Don’t think so. Just sweat.”
The team escalated the joke one step further in the Twitter exchange.
They superimposed the words ‘race week’ above Russell’s outstretched hand, along with the caption, “What’s the forecast @GeorgeRussell63?”
Last month’s Spanish GP, where this joke originated, was actually a season highlight for the underperforming Mercedes side.
Russell followed Lewis Hamilton over the finish line to secure third place in a double podium for the Silver Arrows.
Russell will head into the Hungarian GP in sixth place in the Driver’s Standings, hot on the tail of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz – who is only one point ahead of him.
Meanwhile, Mercedes remain a staggering 208 points behind Red Bull.
They will be focusing on protecting their 22-point lead over third-placed Aston Martin.
Ambitions for Mercedes seem to have declined drastically over the last couple of seasons.
It’s believed that regulations and the budget cap have impacted the Silver Arrows, who aren’t allowed to spend extreme amounts in pursuit of Red Bull.
The team have claimed just one win since the start of the new aerodynamic regulations in 2022 – at the Hungarian GP one year ago.
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George Russell secured his first pole position in F1 at the Hungarian GP last season – before Max Verstappen went on to win the race.
Russell finished the race in third place behind team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who has claimed victory in Hungary eight times.
Due to Mercedes’s current form, it seems unlikely that Hamilton will be able to secure a ninth win at the Hungary GP.