Russell: “Not the desired team result”
The debriefing at Mercedes is expected to be eventful as George Russell has chosen to prioritize his personal strategy instead of trying to defend Lewis Hamilton's leading position.
George Russell has displayed an impressive consistency since joining Mercedes. He has achieved his fourteenth top 5 finish in fifteen races, with his only retirement being due to the massive crash at Silverstone. This weekend, he reaches a new milestone as he secures second place, his best result (excluding the simulated race at Spa last year).
However, he couldn’t display a big smile upon arrival because he knows that there will necessarily be internal discussions. Indeed, his decision to skip the soft tires during the safety car exposed his teammate, facing Max Verstappen, who once again found himself with worn tires against new soft ones.
The young Briton commented: “It was a close contest. We had the rhythm as a team. It’s certain that it’s not the desired team result, but it’s still very encouraging. We’re getting closer to the top step of the podium.”
With this sixth podium of the season, the #63 is now in fourth place, with only thirteen points behind the duo Charles Leclerc – Sergio Perez. But before focusing on the rest of the season, there will necessarily have to be an internal discussion because Lewis Hamilton did not hide his anger on the radio.
