P1racenews AI automatic summary:
1996 Formula 1 champion Damon Hill contends George Russell’s mistakes in the Canadian Grand Prix derived from pushing too hard to prove his worth to Mercedes. Russell was in contention to end Mercedes’ win drought in the Canadian Grand Prix last weekend, but he rued two errors that saw him slip from pole position to […]
Last weekend, Russell had a chance to break Mercedes’ winless streak in the Canadian Grand Prix, but he made two mistakes that dropped him from pole position to third. He lost a place to eventual winner Max Verstappen by cutting the final chicane on Lap 22 when Lando Norris passed him for the lead. Even though Russell reclaimed the spot from Norris later in the race, a wide moment at Turn 8 allowed Norris to take back second place. Concerned, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff radioed Russell to “focus,” but experts like Hill believe such coaching may have a negative impact on the driver. Despite Russell’s errors in Montreal, Hill sees a pattern that could be fixed if Mercedes showed more faith in Russell as a team leader, especially since he might take over as the lead driver after Lewis Hamilton moves to Ferrari next season. Hill suggests that Mercedes should support Russell more and give him confidence to perform at his best, as he already possesses the skills and intelligence to succeed.
