Russell: Another day full of missed opportunities

Mercedes drivers took 7th and 8th places at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, although the team clearly expected more, but Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were involved in several incidents, which affected the results.

Lewis Hamilton (7th): “The race was very difficult. I started on hard tires, which made it difficult at first. In Turn 1 my car took a big hit from Sainz’s Ferrari, after which I tried not to hit the other cars in front of me and lost several positions.

Then I tried to make up for it and fought my way through the pack, which improved my mood. The tires worked well and the pace was high. But I can’t say exactly what happened when I tried to attack Piastri in the outer radius.

I felt a strong impact from behind, but I think it was a racing incident. I didn’t feel the puncture right away, but when I had already passed the pit lane entrance I realized that the rear of the car had lost stability. So I had to ride at a slow pace the entire lap.

I’m grateful that I was still able to win back and at least earn a few points. Our car has its strengths, but sometimes it is difficult to unlock its potential. This is exactly what happened in qualifying yesterday, but I am happy that we managed to show good pace during the race. I’m also happy that the race was really interesting.

I didn’t expect this circuit to be so great, but it turned out to be a very competitive circuit with many overtaking opportunities. I think Las Vegas has proven everyone who was initially critical wrong.”

George Russel (8th): “Today I have to take the blame. I just didn’t see Verstappen, his car was completely in the blind spot, there was contact and the responsibility for that lies entirely with me.

We knew Red Bull was much faster than us and I was ready to give up position. I knew we weren’t fighting with Verstappen on track, so the most important thing was to take good care of the tires.

It’s a shame it all ended like this, because we expected to compete for the podium. Furthermore, the appearance of the safety car influenced the nature of the race. It feels like it was another day of missed opportunities and I’m pretty upset right now, but that’s how our season is going. However, there are some positive aspects that will help us prepare for the final in Abu Dhabi, where we will have to perform as well as we can to maintain second place in the Constructors’ Championship.”

Toto Wolffteam leader: “The day brought nothing but frustration, today we saw another example of a Grand Prix where we had a good pace, but did not get the result we deserved.

When George was given a five-second time penalty, it became clear that the race was over for him and that he would not make the podium. Absolutely, he had speed and he could challenge the leaders – if not Verstappen, then at least Leclerc and Perez. But as it happened, it happened.

Lewis also had contacts with rival cars, twice in fact, and both times were not his fault. He started from the depths of the peloton, but judging by the results of those who started the race next to him, there was still an opportunity to compete for high places.

He showed good pace throughout the race, but these two incidents cost him dearly. Now we must turn our attention to the preparations for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. There is stiff competition in the Constructors’ Championship, but we hope for a good result in the season finale.”