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.
Nonetheless, in his personal phrases the Mercedes driver was “dissatisfied” with himself following the hassle in Baku.
On a restart following an early security automobile, Russell “made a large number” of his begin, placing himself in a tough place. As an alternative of preventing up the sector, 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 swap to the smooth tyres in an try and 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 just a little bit dissatisfied with myself right this moment. I made a extremely good begin and acquired in a good place. I made a great transfer on Stroll to get previous him into the pit lane however I then made a large number of the restart,” mentioned Russell in an announcement launched to the media, together with SB Nation. “I used to be defending from Lance and virtually 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 rapidly 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 combat his method again up the grid, so when it grew to become 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 had 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 plenty of work to do.”
It was a slightly 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 automobiles 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 extremely good opening lap, getting by some key automobiles early on. He was capable of take the cease underneath the Security Automotive however then struggled on the restart and misplaced a few locations. Equally to Lewis, he simply couldn’t make a go regardless of having a bit extra tempo so our solely comfort was some extent for quickest lap on the finish.”
Mercedes will look to enhance in subsequent weekend’s Miami Grand Prix.
