George Russell after the Canadian GP
Toto Wolff has defended George Russell after his costly errors in the Canadian Grand Prix had Ralf Schumacher claiming he wants to “force his way through the wall”.
After securing the pole position at a rain-soaked Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Russell took an early lead in the race. However, his position quickly slipped away as Lando Norris and Max Verstappen swiftly overtook him.
George Russell made ‘too many errors’ in the Canadian GP
In an attempt to fend off Norris, Russell lost control while braking, resulting in him dropping from first to third within a single corner.
As the race progressed, Norris regained his position ahead of Russell. However, Russell made another error by clipping the kerb at Turn 8, allowing the McLaren driver to swiftly overtake him once again.
Mercedes motorsport boss Wolff came over the radio: “Focus George, focus.”
After the crash between Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon, the race resumed with a Safety Car restart. In the last 10 laps, it was Russell’s opportunity to make a move, aiming to overtake Oscar Piastri.
Despite making contact, Russell found himself facing the wrong direction on an escape road, resulting in his team-mate Lewis Hamilton overtaking him.
In this championship, the Briton fiercely battled his way past Piastri and subsequently Hamilton, ultimately securing his inaugural podium finish.
He was left to regret his expensive errors, expressing disappointment in himself. He admitted to making numerous mistakes that hindered our progress and prevented us from achieving victory. He acknowledged that he had been pushing himself to the extremes during the course of the activity.
According to former F1 driver Schumacher, pushing too much is not advisable.
“He always maintains his speed, but ultimately, he aims to forcefully break through the obstacle,” he informed Sky Deutschland.
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‘On the one hand there was brilliance, then on the other…’
Wolff, the team boss of Russell, has come to the defense of his driver, applauding the Briton’s performance during the Grand Prix as “brilliant.”
On the contrary, he acknowledges that Russell’s endeavor to overtake Piastri was excessively ambitious.
Wolff told Sky F1 that while there was brilliance in the race on one side, on the other side, he believed that the mistakes could have been avoided.
In my opinion, I don’t believe the opportunity to overtake Piastri was present in that particular corner.
His overtakes are commendable as he fearlessly takes risks and drives with great intensity. Although this particular move may have been overly ambitious, resulting in the loss of a position, he managed to regain it later on.
During his post-race briefing, he clarified to the media about his radio message to his driver, stating, “On occasions, I communicate with them.”
“Yeah, perhaps offering some advice that could be of assistance. Hopefully, it proves to be helpful. I am very familiar with him, and I believe I understand his thought process.”
Russell’s P3 marked Mercedes’ first Grand Prix podium of the 2024 championship with Mercedes on 123 points.
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