George Russell Unleashes Fury Over Mercedes’ Delayed Team Orders: “Act Fast or Don’t Bother!”
In a dramatic showdown at the Mexico Grand Prix, George Russell unleashed a torrent of frustration aimed squarely at Mercedes for their sluggish team orders that left him fuming throughout the race at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. The British driver, determined to secure a podium finish, called for the Brackley team to prioritize his overtaking of teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli on lap 35, insisting he had the pace to surge ahead of the Italian. Instead of granting his request, Mercedes opted to let the two drivers “free to race,” a decision that would haunt the team as tensions escalated.
As the race wore on, Russell’s frustration boiled over. On lap 36, he pleaded with his team, “We got a Ferrari and a Haas ahead, we can fight for the podium here!” Yet, instead of taking decisive action, Mercedes merely instructed him to manage his front brakes—a maddening directive while racing against time and rivals. By lap 38, Russell sarcastically questioned, “Do you want me to let this McLaren pass?” underscoring the urgency of the situation. He firmly asserted, “I’m happy to give the position back to Kimi if I can’t overtake Bearman. We are just compromising both our races here, guys.”
With the McLaren of Oscar Piastri closing in, Russell’s race engineer, Marcus Dudley, warned him of dangerously high rear surface temperatures. Russell’s response was a fiery declaration: “Marcus, I’ve got an ing car in my . A car much quicker than ours. I’m trying to hold position. I’ve got much more pace than Kimi here and we can fight for a podium. I’m happy to give the position back if we don’t achieve it.” His determination was palpable as he pleaded for clarity and urgency from his team.
Finally, on lap 41, Mercedes greenlit the position swap between Russell and Antonelli, but Russell deemed the move too little, too late. “Yeah, I mean, I had a lot of pace in those laps and would have been able to attack Ollie, who had no DRS,” Russell lamented post-race. “Obviously, I was in the DRS train behind Kimi. I think we left it 10 laps. By that point, my tyres overheated, my brakes were overheating. The engine was overheating. So by that point, there was sort of no point in doing it. It was either do it straight away or don’t do it at all. So in the end, we deserve to finish where we did. A bit frustrating.”
Ultimately, Russell’s frustrations culminated in a seventh-place finish as he was unable to execute the overtaking maneuver he so desperately sought. The race marked a pivotal moment for the Mercedes team, raising crucial questions about their decision-making under pressure and the impact of delayed team orders on their drivers’ performances. With Russell’s sharp criticisms echoing in the wake of the race, fans and analysts alike are left to wonder: will Mercedes heed this call to action, or continue to let their drivers down in the heat of competition?
