George Russell has revealed the defensive tactics he used to hold off a late challenge from Lewis Hamilton for the final podium place at the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix.
The Mercedes driver started the Zandvoort race from second on the grid, but was overtaken by team-mate Kimi Antonelli on the opening lap. Russell moved back ahead after the pit stops, although Antonelli was running an alternative strategy with a tyre advantage.
Mercedes subsequently instructed Russell to move aside in the closing stages, allowing the championship leader to reclaim second place. That left Russell defending from Hamilton, who was charging through the field while leading both Ferrari drivers late in the race.
“It was tough,” Russell said after the race when asked how he kept the seven-time champion at bay.
“I think Kimi’s and my race was kind of the opposite. I had a tough medium stint, he had a very strong medium stint, then I had a strong hard stint, he was struggling. But that VSC gave Lewis the free pitstop, and obviously Kimi pitted as well.
“From there on in, I knew I was going to be under threat, but I was managing enough in the high-speed corners to allow me to be fast in sector three and defending into Turn 1. So, I was pleased with that performance.”
Russell expects Mercedes challenge at Monza
Russell acknowledged that Mercedes had endured a “challenging couple of weekends” after McLaren won in Hungary and then triumphed again at Zandvoort following the summer break.
Mercedes remains ahead in both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships, but McLaren has continued to improve through successive upgrades. Ferrari is also expected to introduce a new engine at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, meaning Mercedes cannot afford to become complacent.
“I think these coming two or three race weekends will be a challenge for us both [Antonelli and him], purely because we’re out of sync with the upgrades,” Russell added.
“I think we will be slightly more competitive [at Monza]. However, I believe Ferrari have an engine upgrade incoming, and the truth is we just don’t know. But I do believe that these high-degradation circuits [like Zandvoort] really suit McLaren very well, and especially Lando. He’s always been a bit of a specialist in those conditions. We also saw it last year. Monza may be slightly different, but I think they are the team to beat right now.”
Russell is currently second in the drivers’ standings, level with Hamilton on 183 points. Both Mercedes drivers are 59 points behind championship leader Antonelli.