Blunder From George Russell Causes Havoc For Mercedes F1 During Sprint Shootout Qualifying
Giancarlo Perlas July 29, 2023The recent Formula 1’s sprint shootout qualifying at Spa-Francorchamps was nothing short of thrilling, but for Mercedes-AMG Petronas driver George Russell, it turned into a total mess. The British prodigy found himself in an unfortunate predicament when his positioning on the circuit hindered his teammate Lewis Hamilton, resulting in a disappointing outcome for both drivers.
Communication Mishaps
As the rain-soaked track dried up, precise timing was critical during the final moments of the sprint race qualifying on the Belgian Grand Prix weekend. However, Mercedes seemed to have misjudged their drivers’ positioning, leaving Russell and Hamilton too close for comfort.
A lock-up by Russell at Turn 1 caused a chain reaction, forcing Hamilton to back off, and the duo’s chances of a strong finish were dashed. The latter, who had a promising first lap, expressed his frustration at the poor communication within the team, which led to confusion about the remaining time on the clock.
George Russell Admits Mistake and Hopes for Redemption
In the aftermath of the tumultuous session, Russell admitted to his own shortcomings in an interview, acknowledging that he had made several mistakes during the day. He attributed part of the problem to a lack of clear communication within the team, which compounded the already challenging situation.
The young Mercedes driver expressed his surprise at even making it to Q3, given the difficulties he faced during the qualifying session last Friday.
Lewis Hamilton’s Frustration
The seven-time world champion was visibly disappointed by the turn of events. Hamilton believed that, had it not been for Russell’s interference, he could have secured an advantageous spot on the front row of the sprint shootout.
Despite the setback, the veteran Mercedes driver remained positive about the overall performance of the W14. He recognized that they might be slightly slower in the middle sector compared to Red Bull, but he was optimistic about the following sprint shootout and Sunday race.
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell Remain Optimistic on the Way to Sunday’s Race
Overall, both drivers reportedly acknowledged that the entire weekend had been far from ideal for the Mercedes team. Missteps in communication and individual errors added up to a series of setbacks, leaving the team looking to make a recovery.
When the sprint shootout at Spa finally came, Hamilton finished fourth but a five-second penalty following a collision with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez pushed him down to seventh. Meanwhile, Russell managed to clinch eighth along the way.
Amid these disappointing results, both drivers remain hopeful that their race pace would be better this Sunday as Hamilton is positioned to start from the third place of the grid while Russell will certainly need to work harder coming from the eighth spot.
