George Russell “not going to sulk” over losing P6 after Mercedes radio swap request
George Russell address his Mercedes radio request after making a second stop which dropped him behind Lewis Hamilton.
George Russell has shrugged off losing sixth-place to Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Russell was the only driver inside the top 10 to make a second pit stop during the latter part of the race amid concerns about his tyres making the end.
The British driver was enduring a solid afternoon, running sixth, four seconds ahead of Hamilton.
Russell’s pit stop meant he was beaten by Hamilton, although he was able to pick up the fastest lap thanks to the fresh rubber.
When stopping for fresh rubber, Russell asked Mercedes whether Hamilton would give him the place back at the end of the race - a request which was denied by Mercedes.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the race, Russell said he wasn’t going to “sulk” over losing the position to Hamilton.
“You are never going to be happy with a P6 and a P7,” he said. “At the end of the day, as a team, we scored an extra point.
“I lost my position to Lewis. But, I am not going to sulk over losing a P6, to be honest.
“This is where we are now. A little bit in no man’s land behind the Ferraris and the McLarens, and ahead of the midfield.”
Imola continued Mercedes’ poor start to the season, failing to finish on the podium at any of the opening seven rounds.
It marks Mercedes’ worst start to a campaign since 2011 even though they continue to bring significant upgrades to the W15.
Russell believes the whole Mercedes organisation remains “super motivated” and that morale “isn’t dropping at all” due to their shocking run of results.
“To be honest, everyone is staying super motivated,” he added. “The morale isn’t dropping at all.
“Which is really quite inspiring to see. Everyone is trying to make this work, and improve it.
“Everyone in Brackley and Brixworth are working at full gas right now. That’s great to see.
“We’ve just got to keep pushing. This weekend, we maximised it. The car was capable of P6 and P7. That’s where we qualified and that’s where we finished.”
