P1racenews AI automatic summary:
George Russell twice felt he was scythed across by Oscar Piastri during the shortened race at the Lusail International Circuit.
George Russell considered himself fortunate to complete the Qatar sprint race despite feeling cut off twice by Oscar Piastri. Starting from second place, Russell was overtaken by Piastri’s McLaren out of Turn 1 on the first lap. Russell made attempts to pass Piastri into the opening corner on two occasions during the 19-lap race, but Piastri aggressively defended his position each time. Russell expressed his frustration over the radio, mentioning that Piastri had closed the door on him and used expletives to emphasize his feelings. Despite finishing third, Russell was left questioning Piastri’s defensive tactics and acknowledged that both drivers were lucky to avoid an incident. Russell found himself following race leader Norris for most of the sprint, with Norris ultimately slowing down at the end to allow Piastri to take the win. Russell believes he has the pace in his Mercedes to challenge the McLaren drivers in the upcoming grand prix and remains optimistic about his performance.
