Russell quips on his radio after the accident with Sainz: "I wasn't going to say: 'Give me a penalty!' »

A week later, the first round clash between George Russell and Carlos Sainz in Austin is still being talked about. During the United States Grand Prix, the Mercedes of the Briton had hit the Ferrari of the Spaniard from the first corner, while Sainz had started from pole position. A fatal accident for the Iberian, who had to give up in the first minutes of the race. George Russell, found to be at fault, was penalized by 5 seconds but was able to finish the race in 5th place. 

At the time of the accident, the English pilot first tried to defend himself, which caused a reaction. " He ran into me ! » George Russell then declared to plead his case. Finally, after the Grand Prix, the Briton admitted his wrongs and went to apologize to Carlos Sainz. At a press conference, on the sidelines of the Mexico Grand Prix, the ex-driver Williams returned to this episode.

“When you're in the car, you want to get the best result possible, no matter what just happened. You will always try to defend your case to the best of your ability, confided George Russell in Mexico. Obviously, when you have the opportunity to see this incident afterwards, perhaps your perspective is slightly different. My view was no different. »

Russell on his radio after the accident with Sainz: “The mentality of a racing driver”

Asked about his statement on the radio immediately after the collision, directly accusing Carlos Sainz, the Mercedes protégé highlighted his competitive spirit. “I thought I was at fault in the accident with Carlos, but I wasn't going to get on the radio in the middle of the race and say, 'I'm sorry, it was my fault and give myself a big penalty!', before the FIA ​​makes a decision, exclaimed George Russell. I think it's just the mentality of a racing driver. Once the penalty was taken, that's when the excuses came. It's really the same for all of us in that regard. »

Now the page has been turned, according to the native of King's Lynn. Obviously disappointed after Austin's performance, despite another top 5, George Russell would have liked to join the fight for victory in Texas. “It was a shame the way things went, I finished the race with a bit of a damaged front wing, which didn't help matters. It was a bit boring to see this race in front of me and not be able to get involved. But I think Lewis showed what the car was capable of, and [we] definitely took a step in the right direction. » In Mexico, Mercedes expects to suffer more from Red Bull and Ferrari, especially on the long straights of the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

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