Starting the Canadian Grand Prix race from P4, George Russell didn’t expect to come out pointless from Montreal. But that’s what happened when he had to retire midway through the race. But he reveals that, on the contrary, brakes felt ok to him, and he believed in Mercedes’ word to retire.
Russell had a decent start to the race. While he didn’t progress in the race, he didn’t even lose a position until his collision with the wall at turn 9. Therefore, he had to make an unscheduled pitstop, where he got new tires and a front wing before rejoining the race at P19.
From there onwards, he rose in the standings after treacherous efforts, only to be stuck behind Alex Albon for P7. And after many failed overtakes, Mercedes retired Russell, owing to the failed brakes. But Russell, after the race, claimed he felt alright with them.
GEORGE RUSSELL pic.twitter.com/jWgcSyHFig
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George Russell reported no issues
With Russell retiring, Mercedes lost on crucial points in the constructors’ race against Aston Martin, as the latter scored five more points than the Silver Arrows. But the Brit race driver never reported a problem from his side, and it was solely Mercedes’ call to retire.
“As for the brakes, they felt ok from my side,” reveals Russell during his post-race comments. “But obviously, the team has the data, and they can see the real progression.”
Russell’s retirement now keeps Aston Martin only 14 points away from them in the table. Both will next meet in Austria and eye to fetch the P2 spot in the championship. And amidst all this, the 25-year-old has some positive takeaways from Sunday.
Mercedes showed the real pace
Even though dejected for not completing the race, Russell believes there are many things to look forward to. Firstly, he states that Mercedes showed real pace this weekend, even when they were expected to be slower, because the track’s characteristics were unsuitable to their strengths.
Yet, Mercedes remained at par with Aston Martin and kept Ferrari away. So, when it comes to the championship race, Mercedes has made a strong case for the runner-up spot.
Since Imola, Mercedes haven’t made an upgrade to the car. And it’s totally unknown when they will introduce further upgrades in the competition. But surely, they are making a strong case to be trouble for Red Bull later in the season.
