George Russell, starting from the fifth position, drove to his fourth podium finish of the season during the Miami Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver outmaneuvered both teammate Kimi Antonelli and pole sitter Max Verstappen by taking full advantage of a Virtual Safety Car. However, securing that podium spot was anything but smooth sailing.
George Russell achieved his fourth podium finish of the season in Miami. Despite this, he admitted to not having enjoyed the race weekend at the Miami International Autodrome. During the race, the Briton even felt quite uncomfortable in the W16. “The last fifteen laps I had terrible stomach cramps and I’m really struggling now. I can’t stand up straight, my stomach is really hurting,” he revealed to F1 TV. “I need to understand what went wrong. I had a slightly larger breakfast than usual, so that could be the reason,” he says, searching for an explanation.
Brave Strategy
Mercedes confirmed after the race that George Russell had recovered from his cramps. Although he had to admit his teammate Kimi Antonelli was superior in both the sprint qualification and the qualification, the roles were reversed in the races. Starting on hard tires, Russell was able to drive longer, after which he dived into the pits during a Virtual Safety Car and moved up from fifth to third place. A daring choice that paid off. “I thought there was a chance if we were brave with the strategy,” he said. “It’s not often you see a top-five driver starting on hard tires. Of course, we were a bit lucky with the Virtual Safety Car, but that’s how the game works and that’s the risk you take. Nevertheless, when Kimi and Max Verstappen went into the pits, I found three to four tenths in terms of pace and I was really in a great position.”
After the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Russell’s deficit to third-placed Max Verstappen in the championship was fourteen points. After Miami, that gap has shrunk to just six. “I’m really proud of the result, because I wasn’t happy this weekend and didn’t enjoy the driving, but we made it count when it mattered,” Russell concludes.
