George Russell, a driver for the Mercedes Formula 1 team, defended the team’s strategic decisions during the Japanese Grand Prix. Despite some questionable calls, Russell believes that starting with the hard compound tire was the right choice as it allowed flexibility in terms of race strategy. He acknowledges that the first stint was challenging, with him being stuck behind his teammate Lewis Hamilton. However, he believes that after the first pit stop, they were in a good position to challenge the cars ahead. Russell also mentions encountering Fernando Alonso, who used clever tactics to prevent him from overtaking. He praises Alonso’s strategy, stating that it is part of racing.
Russell made a bold move on Piastri at the chicane on lap 50, resulting in contact and the McLaren going off track, but maintaining his position. However, Russell took advantage of Piastri’s mistake at the same chicane on the penultimate lap to overtake the Australian on the final lap and secure seventh place.
Although both drivers were cleared by the stewards for their collision, Russell expressed his belief that Piastri should have been penalized for his earlier mistake. Russell admitted that his maneuver was late and resulted in contact, but emphasized that there was enough space for both cars to remain on track and Piastri continued without losing position.
Russell stated: “I would have been more upset if I had finished the race behind him. Neither of us gained or lost anything from the incident.”
Despite another disappointing performance in 2024, Wolff, the head of the Mercedes team, remained optimistic, highlighting the significant progress the team had made in Suzuka. He expressed confidence that Mercedes would continue to improve in the upcoming races.
Russell concurred with Wolff’s assessment, stating that Mercedes was on the wrong side of narrow margins compared to Red Bull and the other top teams. He believed that qualifying would be crucial in determining the final results, as only one or two positions separated third from eighth place on the grid. Russell emphasized the importance of qualifying at the front of the pack and acknowledged that Mercedes still had work to do to challenge for the lead position.
He added, “We are not satisfied with fighting for second place. We need to keep pushing. However, I believe that the upcoming tracks, including China, will be more favorable for us compared to the three previous races.”
