George Russell not solely climbed into the factors after beginning eleventh within the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, he managed to safe an extra level after selecting up the quickest lap of the race within the closing laps.
Nevertheless, in his personal phrases the Mercedes driver was “upset” with himself following the trouble in Baku.
On a restart following an early security automotive, Russell “made a large number” of his begin, placing himself in a tough place. As an alternative of combating up the sphere, Russell was pressured to accept a factors end. When that was assured within the closing laps, he got here into the pits to make a late change to the delicate tyres in an try to safe the quickest lap of the race, and the extra level.
He pulled that off, however it was little solace given what may have been.
“I’m a bit bit upset with myself right now. I made a very good begin and acquired in an honest place. I made a very good transfer on Stroll to get previous him into the pit lane however I then made a large number of the restart,” mentioned Russell in a press release launched to the media, together with SB Nation. “I used to be defending from Lance and nearly bumped into the again of Fernando [Alonso]. I then ran huge and acquired my tyres soiled. In the end that’s why each Lance and Lewis acquired previous. From there, it was line astern.”
As an alternative of difficult for P5, Russell shortly discovered himself again in P8 and hoping for a break. He didn’t maintain again his self-criticism when he subsequent radioed into pit lane.
“Effectively that was a s*** restart, sorry guys,” mentioned the motive force.
Sadly for Russell, he couldn’t struggle his manner again up the grid, so when it turned clear he was locked into the factors, Mercedes made the choice to deliver him in and alter to the softs, to take a run on the bonus level. Russell managed to safe the quickest lap, however following the race he seen that small victory as an offshoot of his earlier error.
“I’ll take the additional level for quickest lap however the one motive we had that chance was as a result of we have been in a foul place. It was shut pace-wise between ourselves, Ferrari and Aston Martin and small variations could make an enormous change when it comes to outcomes,” mentioned Russell. “Whether or not we end P4 or P8 although, it’s removed from first so we’ve acquired quite a lot of work to do.”
It was a fairly dramatic week for the Mercedes driver, who acquired into an on-track scrap with Max Verstappen in Saturday’s Dash race. Contact between the 2 vehicles triggered injury to Verstappen’s RB19, and resulted in a tense post-race chat between the 2 drivers.
Russell maintained following the Dash race that he was within the clear, and that he wouldn’t merely again down from a problem:
Regardless of Russell’s frustration with himself, Mercedes Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin was extra upbeat in his post-race evaluation, pointing to his race tempo. “George had a very good opening lap, getting by way of some key vehicles early on. He was capable of take the cease beneath the Security Automobile however then struggled on the restart and misplaced a few locations. Equally to Lewis, he simply couldn’t make a cross regardless of having a bit extra tempo so our solely comfort was a degree for quickest lap on the finish.”
Mercedes will look to enhance in subsequent weekend’s Miami Grand Prix.
