After the back and forth with the FIA, George Russell has finally made his feelings on the entire conundrum known. The FIA handed Fernando Alonso the P3 trophy and overturned his penalty, making George Russell return his position. Having handled it gracefully at the start, Russell and now made his feelings known.
The contested spot at the podium was sentimental. For Russell, it would be the first podium for Mercedes this season- a much-needed ray of hope in stormy skies. On the other hand, Alonso would tally off 100 podium appearances in his F1 legacy, an elite club few are a part of. At the end of the day, the Spaniard wore his crown and finally lifted his trophy.
George Russell reacts to retracted P3
After the dust settled, George Russell made a final social media post about his P3 being taken away. A day after looking lovingly at his trophy, the FIA forced Russell to give it back. Being a good sport, the Brit penned his letter. “Correct decision in the end but a shame for all the fans and everyone involved that we had all that confusion.”
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A class act from Russell, he ended his message by encouraging Mercedes of brighter days ahead. The team lost out on a much-needed win, as the eight-time champions struggle to come close to the teams ahead.
Regardless of the penalty, a lot of things were in play for the Silver Arrows. The podium would mean important points against their closest rivals- Alonso’s team in green, Aston Martin. Both teams are tied at 38 points on the board. Further, it would mean that the race pace in their challenger is worth betting on. With the messy start to the season, the small win would have been a big one in the larger scheme of things.
Fernando Alonso trolls Russell
After the FIA made the final decision, Alonso was ecstatic to get his centurion status back. In a funny turn of events, the double champion used his most recent meme to troll Russell under the post celebrating the trophy.
😂😂😂 Until next time amigo…
— George Russell (@GeorgeRussell63) March 21, 2023
He even completed it was a message hidden in emojis, as his trophy makes it’s way back to its rightful owner. Russell bid adieu to the beauty. “Until next time, amigo.”
With the fate of the shared P2 position hanging in the balance, the upcoming race will reignite the intense rivalry between Alonso and Russell in Australia. As the drivers prepare to take the track, they know all too well that in this high-stakes game, every single point holds the power to determine who stays and who gets bumped out.