Russell on the podium in Australia: "I was hoping the two riders in front of me would make mistakes"

George Russell's podium, starting fourth on the grid (behind Max Verstappen, Oscar piastri et Lando Norris), and the beautiful fourth place (after the cancellation of his penalty for Andrea Kimi Antonelli at the end of a hectic race place Mercedes at the forefront at the start of the season. With 27 points scored (15 for Russell, 12 for Antonelli), the Silver Arrows share the lead in the provisional Constructors' standings with McLaren. “It was a big race, to bring home this third place is awesome, the Briton rejoiced. A race like this when you're leading must be a nightmare. Congratulations also to Andrea Kimi Antonelli for coming back to fifth place." The rookie had received a five-second penalty that cost him fourth place for unsafe release, but this was canceled after the complaint of its stable.

Despite a solid weekend for the German team, Russell remained cautious about what happens next: "It's not our strongest weekend, but being on the podium makes me very happy. Let's see what we can do next week." For the second round of the season, the circus of the F1 will travel to Shanghai for the Chinese Grand Prix, the opportunity to confirm the progress of the German firm and its choice of drivers...

Conditions “fun” for Russell

One thing is certain, the race had many twists and turns, even before the start. Isack Hadjar was the first to crash on the formation lap before being followed by Jack Doohan on the first lap, Carlos Sainz on the 2nd, Fernando Alonso in the 33rd, as well as Liam Lawson and Gabriel Bortoleto in the 47th. These retirements punctuated the first meeting of the year. “It was fun, that’s F1.” said the Mercedes driver.

The wet asphalt and the deployment of the Safety Car even gave George Russell hope. "I was hoping that the two drivers in front of me would make mistakes, but that wasn't the case, confessed number 63. It was complicated, but that's F1. It made the Grand Prix exciting and we're happy to come home with this podium." Considering the arrival of young Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who has climbed from sixteenth to fifth place, compared to the difficulties encountered by Mercedes in the last two years, it is a good start for the German team. "McLaren are way ahead, but it's still a solid weekend with a good result from us," analyzed the former teammate of Lewis Hamilton.

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