At Monza, George Russell finished third, but made it clear that the race didn’t seem very interesting to him, as he had to cover almost the entire distance alone.
Q: This is your seventh podium finish this season and what were your expectations for the Italian Grand Prix?
George Russell: I think we foresaw the results Red Bull and Max Verstappen can achieve before the start of the weekend. But we were surprised by the confidence that the Ferrari team, especially Charles Leclerc, performed. I thought I would at least have a chance to compete with him today, but he showed a great pace.
To be honest, the race seemed quite long and I mostly rode alone. The Mercedes car on this track didn’t work in the best way. I think we can imagine what it has to do with it, and we can say we’re happy that high-speed tracks that require low downforce are already behind us.
Q: Tell us about the duel with Charles at the start of the race: in the 1st corner your cars came in side by side and it was a rather acute situation…
George Russell: Yes, I agree. But it was great! Charles was driving on the inside track and had the right to move me slightly to the outside curb. Besides, to be honest, for me it was the most interesting moment of the whole race.
Q: You said you understand the reasons why the car lacks speed. And how did it work on tires with the stiffest compound? If you had to start over, would you put on the Hard kit?
George Russell: Apparently not. But frankly, it must be emphasized that our team had no intention of using tires of this compound at all, because we thought they were not effective enough. But we just wanted to act differently – not like Max and Charles.
If we, like them, had followed the tactic of starting on soft tires and then switching to medium, we would definitely finish behind them. Overall, we decided to take a chance.
Q: Weren’t you worried that Carlos Sainz might overtake you at the end of the race?
George Russell: To be honest, no. I think we had a pretty solid advantage.
Q: The next race will be on a track that is completely different in its characteristics. Do you think Mercedes has a chance of success in Singapore?
George Russell: Much higher than in Monza, that’s for sure. I suppose in theory the Singapore circuit should suit our car, but if we remember the races on urban circuits in Monaco and Azerbaijan, our car didn’t handle the bumps very well there. That’s why it’s hard to say how it will end.
But we have to continue to attack, continue to upgrade the car and I am happy that the team now has a clear idea in which direction to go.
Q: The race ended behind the safety car – what do you think about this?
George Russell: I think it happens in racing, that’s all. When a car stops in an inconvenient place on the track, it is not always easy to evacuate it. Of course I want the Grand Prix to end normally, under green flags, but what can be done in that situation?
It’s just the way things were. And while I don’t know how the end of the race could have gone, I don’t think the result would have been any different. However, it can be said with certainty that if the distance can be covered with a single pit stop, as the degree of rubber degradation is minimal, such races rarely follow an exciting scenario.
Q: You know Nick de Vries well. At Monza, he made his Formula 1 debut, finishing 9th and earning the points. It’s unlikely you saw what it was like driving your cars, but what can you say about such a result? Does he confirm that Nick deserves a place in Formula 1?
George Russell: Yes, it’s pretty clear that he’s done a great job, and this is an impressive result. During my karting days, Charles and I often competed with Nick and I know him well. He has always been one of the best and there is no doubt that he deserves a place in Formula 1.
But that’s how our sport works, there are only 20 drivers in it and not everyone gets the chance to break through in Formula 1. When we talk about Nick, he proved that he has all the necessary qualities for this.
Q: Does this remind you of the Bahrain 2020 Grand Prix? The situation Nick found himself in this weekend can be compared to your first experience with Mercedes…
George Russell: I think it was more difficult for him than it was for me because unlike him I had already driven in Formula 1 that season. And Nick drove an Aston Martin car on Friday, after which he had to switch to Williams. This is a different car, and there’s another landing in the cockpit.
I remember working on tests with Mercedes and Force India in my time, and even in Formula 2 I had to do a few laps to really feel how different cars react to my actions. Nick scored points on his debut day in the Williams and that is an impressive achievement – there is not much more to add.
Source: F1 News

I’m Todderic Kirkman, a journalist and author for athletistic. I specialize in covering all news related to sports, ranging from basketball to football and everything in between. With over 10 years of experience in the industry, I have become an invaluable asset to my team. My ambition is to bring the most up-to-date information on sports topics around the world.