Formula One preview: A lap of the Japanese Grand Prix
George Russell was left fuming after almost colliding his Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday. The 25-year-old finished seventh at Suzuka with Max Verstappen, who secured Red Bull their second consecutive constructor championship title, claiming his 13th win of the season.
Russell survived a couple of close shaves with Hamilton throughout the race and made his feelings clear on the team radio. “Who do we want to fight here? Each other or the others?” he fumed.
At the back end of the race, Russell pleaded with his team to keep Hamilton behind him until the final lap in order to stop Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz from overtaking them both. However, Mercedes rejected Russell’s proposal and demanded that he allow Hamilton, who was on fresher tyres, to pass him.
“If you want to play the team game… he [Hamilton] pushed me off the track earlier,” Russell shouted on the radio before Hamilton overtook.
When pressed on the heated radio interaction, he told Sky Sports post-race: “When you’re in the car and 48 laps in, you’re giving it everything and you’re making a sub-optimal strategy to try and work. That radio is a vent to release some frustration.
“For me, the goal is to secure P2 in the constructors’. On my personal side, the Drivers’ Championship is totally out of the window. It’s been a complete disaster of a season, so many missed chances. Lewis is in a really good position for P3. Standing here now, it’s all good.”
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Mercedes remain second in the constructor’s standings, 20 points ahead of Ferrari and 84 ahead of their next closest rival Aston Martin. However, Ferrari made up ground on the Silver Arrows at Suzuka with Charles Leclerc finishing fourth ahead of Hamilton in fifth.
Meanwhile, Sainz placed sixth, one position in front of Russell. In total, the Italian constructor gained four points on Mercedes with six races left to overtake them.
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