In the previous race held in Canada, Mercedes achieved their highest season result so far.
George Russell has revealed he was determined to beat Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton to the final podium spot at the Canadian Grand Prix as he felt like he had “let the team down a bit” with his earlier mistakes in the race.
Russell claimed his second career pole position in Montreal on Saturday, setting the exact same lap time in Q3 as Max Verstappen’s Red Bull as Mercedes enjoyed their strongest performance of the F1 2024 season to date.
George Russell pips Lewis Hamilton to first Mercedes podium of F1 2024
Nevertheless, a string of errors resulted in Russell dropping to the third position on race day, with Verstappen and McLaren driver Lando Norris ahead of him.
In an intense battle for Mercedes’ inaugural podium finish of the season, Russell found himself defending against Hamilton’s persistent challenges in the final laps at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Both drivers exhibited exceptional racing skills as they fought fiercely for this coveted achievement.
In the final outcome, the 26-year-old emerged victorious, crossing the finish line a mere six tenths of a second ahead of his esteemed teammate.
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Russell expressed his desire to secure a podium position after losing the opportunity to battle Verstappen for first place. He also commended Hamilton for engaging in a challenging and fair contest for third place.
Speaking to reporters, he admitted, “During those final three laps, my sole concentration was on reclaiming a spot on the podium. I couldn’t help but feel responsible for disappointing the team, as I had momentarily lost track of Max and made a few errors that landed me in that unfavorable position in the first instance.”
Lewis is consistently tough yet fair.
“It was truly amazing to witness the trust and camaraderie between two racing legends in the final moments.”
When asked if Mercedes could derive any positives from the weekend, Russell confidently affirmed, “Absolutely, without a doubt, 100 percent.”
To be honest, if you had informed us in advance about securing pole position and P3 this weekend, we might not have believed it.
“It was an incredibly challenging race for everyone. Even the slightest miscalculation could throw you off track. Personally, I believe I made one too many errors at crucial moments, preventing me from competing with these two till the very end of the race.”
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff commented on Russell’s performance, stating that while there were brilliant moments in the race, there were also mistakes that could have been avoided.
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