At the Dutch GP, Mercedes pilots Lewis Hamilton and George Russell looked set for at least a podium finish with the pace they were displaying through the weekend, with Lewis even claiming they could have challenged Max for the win.
However, it was a horror show at Mercedes with a strategy mishap costing them the race, and Russell’s near miss with a DNF after accidentally going off track. Later, due to a collision with Norris, Russell was pushed down to P17.
Mercedes’ George Russell opens up about near-race ending scare
Russell had qualified in P2 for the race, looking set for a podium finish. However, a strategy mishap forced him to attempt riding out hard tyres until the end of the race. During this stint, he was chased by Lewis who was on fresher softs and displaying much pacier racing.
As Lewis approached him, George nearly lost control of the car after a wheel went on the grass, costing him valuable traction. Luckily, he was able to save the car and continue racing.
Explaining this moment, he said, “I made contact with Tsunoda about five laps before and I had massive vibrations. In the high-speed [corners] I was struggling to see, looked a little bit my mirror, next thing I was off the track but kept it out of the wall. It lasted for about five laps, and I lost three or four seconds of race time.”
“That was a shame because probably could have stayed ahead of Lewis, Lando [Norris] and [Pierre] Gasly who pitted later,” he added.
By the end of the race, Lewis finished P6 and George was forced down to P17 because of a puncture. Both drivers even expressed their dissatisfaction with the team’s strategy mess-ups.
Hamilton and Russell express frustration at Mercedes’ weather mishap
According to Lewis and George, the point of blame should be directed at Mercedes’ inaccurate weather information and predictions.
On this, George said to the media, “The race was over before it really got started. I think the information we had regarding the weather was totally wrong. We thought the rain was going to last for a couple of minutes and it clearly lasted for longer. So that was a real shame the podium was missed.”
“So we really need to look into what happened, why the others decided to pit, what information they maybe had that we didn’t, and make sure we don’t make the same mistake again,” he continued.
Hamilton, who finished P6, also spoke on this later, stating, “Ultimately, it was the team’s call and we’ve paid the price for that, but then we came out last and I think after that, I just was chasing, kept my head down.”
Speaking on what could have been, he adds, “I think today, I think I had the pace in the conditions if we had made the right call, I had the pace to be challenging for the top two.”
Do you think Mercedes could have fought for the win like Hamilton claims if they got the strategy right? Comment what you think down below!
