The Mercedes driver stated that the opening day of observe on Friday had been a puzzling one, as there was so little grip on supply.
Talking after ending second practice in fifth spot for Mercedes, 0.6 seconds adrift of pace-setter Max Verstappen, Russell stated that it had not been a standard day of motion.
He instructed that the asphalt, which incorporates newly laid sections by way of Turns 3, 4 and seven, was not behaving as anticipated.
“There appears to be an enormous quantity of tyre degradation,” he stated. “It is actually bizarre in Suzuka.
“It is likely one of the greatest tracks on this planet to drive, however this 12 months it feels just like the tarmac has actually damaged up and the vehicles are sliding on high of the floor.
“It is given a little bit of an odd feeling to all of the drivers on the market, and that is what’s contributing in direction of that tyre degradation.”
With Pirelli bringing the toughest of its compounds to Japan, low degradation might have moved it in direction of a one-stop.
Russell thinks in the meanwhile that, whereas he anticipates it will definitely rubbering up sufficient to be a two-stopper, there may be potential for it to wish much more than that.
“Positively, after we go to tracks like Jeddah, or Melbourne, on this newer Tarmac, it’s actually excessive grip,” he stated. “Even in Singapore within the new part, it was actually enjoyable for drivers to drive on and it does not supply a lot tyre degradation.
“Right here, the tyre degradation appears most likely nearer to a three-stop in the meanwhile than it’s a one-stop, to place some perspective on it. However I believe it is going to be a two-stop for everyone on Sunday. We are going to see what occurs.”
George Russell, Mercedes F1 W14
Picture by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images
Russell was not too downbeat in regards to the efficiency of his Mercedes automobile, which appears to be in the midst of the chasing pack behind Purple Bull.
“It was a half affordable day, to be sincere,” he stated. “Purple Bull are again to the conventional methods, which I do not suppose is a significant shock. For a lot of, they appear very, very fast.
“We’re not too removed from P2. I believe there are two tenths in it. So it’ll be a very good struggle between Ferrari and Lando [Norris]. But additionally, you’ve got acquired vehicles like Alex [Albon] up there, as you usually see in qualifying.”
Russell’s positivity was in distinction to team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who had a much more tough day as he felt not a lot had gone proper.
“A foul day, to be sincere,” stated Hamilton, after he ended up 14th within the afternoon. “An actual wrestle on the market. A great distance off: two seconds off within the first session, over a second off within the second. So it is working away, making an attempt to repair the automobile, repair the stability.”
Hamilton stated with the W14 having proven itself to not be too good in high-speed corners this 12 months, there was little hope of a repeat of the robust type it confirmed at Singapore final weekend.
“It is an space the place we have to work on, getting the automobile in a bit extra of a candy spot and never overheating our tyres as a lot,” he defined.
“However we’ll work on it in a single day and attempt to flip it round for tomorrow. However we undoubtedly will not be successful this weekend.”