UNITED KINGDOM: George Russell expressed frustration with Charles Leclerc’s defending maneuvers throughout the British Grand Prix, labeling them “very borderline.” Though Russell doesn’t plan to lift the problem on the following drivers’ assembly, he believes Leclerc’s actions had been questionable.
Beginning behind the Ferraris, he utilized his comfortable tires to his benefit, rapidly overtaking Carlos Sainz and settling in fifth place behind Leclerc.
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Nonetheless, the Monégasque driver repeatedly thwarted his makes an attempt to cross, as Leclerc forcefully closed the door, executing no less than one double transfer throughout his defensive maneuvers.
Russell voiced his dissatisfaction, stating, “If that’s not shifting underneath braking, then I don’t know what’s.”
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Leclerc’s engineer, Xavier Marcos Padros, echoed the Mercedes driver’s frustrations and instructed Leclerc over the radio, saying, “No extra shifting underneath braking.”
Ultimately, Russell discovered a possibility to overhaul when Leclerc made a pit cease. He secured a fifth-place end within the race, whereas Leclerc may solely handle ninth.
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Regardless of his disappointment together with his rivals’ defending ways, Russell believes that the punishment handed to Leclerc, described as a “slap on the wrist,” was inadequate.
Russell pinpointed the braking into Flip 16 as the particular level of rivalry, explaining, “I used to be about to lunge him down inside, and proper on the braking zone, he got here throughout fairly aggressively. That’s not allowed within the guidelines.”
Nonetheless, he acknowledged that he has but to assessment the incident on video and isn’t overly involved about it.
Along with his frustrations with Leclerc, Russell additionally encountered problem passing Oscar Piastri after a Security Automotive restart.
Regardless of being on quicker comfortable tires in comparison with Piastri’s tougher compound, Russell couldn’t make progress and finally fell out of the DRS vary.
His teammate, Lewis Hamilton, confronted an identical problem whereas battling Lando Norris’s McLaren for second place.
Reflecting on the race, Russell expressed shock on the robust efficiency of the McLaren vehicles, saying, “I assumed it was going to be clear minimize, Lewis and I P2 and P3, and so long.”
He believed that the medium/arduous tire technique was the mistaken selection and that the comfortable tires supplied a major benefit for his rivals.
Whereas Russell doesn’t intend to handle the problem within the upcoming drivers’ assembly on the Hungarian Grand Prix, he hopes that the FIA will assessment the incident and acceptable motion taken to forestall comparable questionable defending strikes in future races.
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