Russell is realistic after the Russian GP
With his tenth place in the Russian Grand Prix, George Russell did not hope for a better result. He believes that there is too big of a gap between the Williams and the other cars in the paddock.
At the Russian Grand Prix, George Russell started the race in third place, behind Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz. However, the race did not go as planned for Williams and their young driver. The British driver had hoped to slipstream his opponents ahead of him at the start to gain positions, but it was ultimately Sainz who came out victorious at Turn 3. Russell then struggled throughout the race, with other drivers overtaking him almost effortlessly.
Russell could not finish on the podium for the second time this season. With his first pit stop, he dropped to fifteenth place. The rain added to the excitement and allowed him to take tenth position after all the drivers entered the pits. After the race, he chose to remain positive about his point earned in Sochi, feeling that he did not deserve better.
« The performance on slicks was really good. Overall, from the team and from inside the car, I felt really happy and confident. I don’t think the race could have gone any better. We obviously dreamed of an amazing result, but it wasn’t realistic. We finished where we probably deserve to finish.
Too big a gap
The British driver still managed to keep Ricciardo and Hamilton behind him for a few laps, but the gap between the cars remains too large. The young driver made a comeback on the last laps on the wet track, emphasizing the significant gap between the Williams and the other cars in the paddock.
« I think we had a very good race and we couldn’t have hoped for better to be honest. We know the pace of the car. The Mercedes is two seconds faster than us, and everyone else probably one second faster. So, keeping them behind was really difficult. The last laps on the wet track were really not good and we really struggled. I think it was because of the intermediate tires.
If Williams scored one point at the end of the race, Alfa Romeo is getting closer to the British team. With Räikkönen’s eighth place, the Italian team now has a sixteen-point gap. There are now seven races left before the end of the season to give it their all.
