F1 News

Russell avoids comment on swapping places with Hamilton

Mercedes decision cost Russell a position to Hamilton: Russell reacts

19 May at 16:39
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  • Matt Gretton
  • Editor-in-Chief

George Russell refuses to comment on the situation which caused him to drop behind teammate Lewis Hamilton. He sat ahead of Lewis Hamilton but pitted in the second half of the race. The plan worked and Mercedes got the extra point for the fastest lap but Mercedes did not allow the teammates to swap and regain the original order.

Mercedes keep Hamilton ahead

Russell asked on the radio for his sixth-place back, but Mercedes didn't order the switch. In the end, Russell finished in seventh but could be pleased to keep Sergio Perez's Red Bull car in the rearview mirror. 

"As a driver, you want to finish the highest position possible. And all weekend, I've been ahead of my teammate. I was ahead the whole race comfortably, and then that was sort of just losing the position for the sake of it. So we've got the extra point. As I said, I'm not going to talk about it tonight. It was P6, not for a podium or victory," Russell told the media in Imola, which included GPblog.

"I think we pitted a bit too early, compromised the race slightly on my side of the garage. But as a team, we came away from the extra point with the fastest lap," Russell concluded.