Despite his disqualification at Spa, it “remains a victory” in Russell’s eyes 

It's back to school in Zandvoort this weekend. The moment for everyone to share their vacations, spent in the sun, on the beach, at the Olympic Games or visiting the world, like another tourist. “ The summer break has done a lot of good. She was necessary, admits George Russell. We are lucky to be in this sport that gives you this break. This allows people to really switch off, to not think so much about the race. Then last Sunday, I had trouble falling asleep, thinking about tire pressures, downforce level, etc... (smiles) » 

The Englishman's name was also one of the big news topics. His disqualification during the last Grand Prix before the break in the Ardennes took everyone by surprise even though the person concerned had already respected the protocol of the F1 which notably made him answer questions from the press in the shoes of the winner. But it was in that of the disqualified that he finally left Spa-Francorchamps a few hours later, pinned by the too light weight of his car at the time of technical checks. 

« It's clear we didn't do the job properly, he replied in Zandvoort where there was inevitably talk of this disqualification. But above all it was an accumulation of factors, which when combined, exceeded our expectations regarding weight loss [of the car] that this would cause. Including me, because ultimately I lost more weight than expected during the race. The tires too. The board has worn more than we thought. All these elements combined made us cross the limit (...) We've been asking the team to push the boundaries for a long time. If you take the margin, you will never risk being disqualified, you will never make a mistake, you will never spin. But you won't know how far your potential goes either. » 

“The fact of having crossed the line [first] cannot be taken away from me.” 

Despite all the frustration that such an event can cause in a man, George Russell preferred to play down the drama, ensuring that he experienced one of his finest moments in his career in a race where he dared. 

« It's undoubtedly one of my best races in F1he says. I had incredible feelings, seeing that this opportunity [of victory] was truly becoming a reality. Spa is such a unique circuit with its long straights. The few screens around the circuit allowed me to follow my lead over Lewis. I knew he was close, that he was coming back at 6 or 7 tenths per lap. I had 15/16 laps to go with around 12 seconds ahead. I knew I had to hold on and that if he caught me it would be towards the end. No one can take away the fact that I crossed the line [first], the celebrations with the team, being on the podium, etc… If I had been in the fight for the title this year, it would have meant more than losing 25 points. Unfortunately, we are not in this position.  

It's frustrating that the only time we went over the limit coincided with the race we won. But I have no resentment. We are in this together. I know this will make us stronger for the future. Certainly I lost my 25 points, but in my mind it remains a victory. I keep my head down and I keep moving forward (...) I only remember the positive » 

Continue on the same dynamic 

Team in form with three victories in the last four races, Mercedes is now expected at the forefront, in the fight against McLaren et Red Bull, or at least close to them. However, internally, we seek above all to keep our feet on the ground, aware that recent results do not really reflect the current hierarchy. 

« We must set our expectations very high, continues George Russell. We have progressed considerably in recent races. I think these three victories in the last four races don't really reflect reality. McLaren has been very strong recently, maybe even more than us. At Spa, they were undoubtedly more competitive than us. Red Bull is going back and forth between good and bad at the moment, but you can be sure they will always be competitive. It reminds me of my years F2/F3 where by doing the job correctly you could win. Otherwise, you were quickly out of the Top 5. » Be careful not to make any mistakes this weekend at Zandvoort or you risk paying dearly against the competition.

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