P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Sky F1 pundits observe “needle” between Mercedes drivers with Russell “smarting”
Lewis Hamilton and his Mercedes teammate George Russell engaged in intense battles during the Suzuka race, with Hamilton ultimately finishing fifth and Russell coming in seventh after opting for a one-stop strategy. The pair had a near-collision at Spoon, leading to a fiery radio message from Russell questioning their focus on each other rather than the other competitors. In the final stages, Mercedes ordered Russell to let Hamilton pass, causing frustration for Russell who believed Hamilton had pushed him off the track earlier. Former F1 driver Chandhok observed tension between the two drivers, with Hamilton reminding Russell of his significant lead in the championship points. Chandhok also noted that Russell’s strategy was a gamble but ultimately didn’t make a significant difference in his finishing position. Damon Hill, the 1996 F1 world champion, mentioned that Russell was disappointed due to dropping points in a previous race and wanting a strong result. However, Hill believes that regardless of the strategy, Russell would have ended up with the same result and needs to accept it.
Source: Crash
