Mercedes F1 star George Russell 'shocked' by crucial FIA decision

George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, Hungary, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Mercedes star 'shocked' by crucial FIA decision

George Russell couldn't believe how long it took for the stewards to react in Baku

Jay Winter

Monday 16 September 2024 09:12

George Russell has expressed his surprise at the FIA’s delay the deployment of the Virtual Safety Car (VSC) following a high-speed collision during the penultimate lap of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

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The Mercedes driver, who finished third, criticised the delay after the crash involving Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, which occurred between turns two and three of the Baku City Circuit.

The crash, which elevated Russell to the final podium position, took place after Sainz passed Perez for third at turn one.

Perez attempted to reclaim the position down the straight into the first DRS zone, but the two cars collided, sending both into the barriers.

Double-waved yellow flags were shown almost immediately after the crash. However, the VSC was not deployed until over a minute later.

Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez collided on the penultimate lap

Russell: 'The car could've been anywhere

Russell described the moment he came upon the wreckage as one of the most challenging parts of his race, criticising the delay in neutralising the situation.

“I was driving full gas into a wall of carbon fibre on the penultimate lap. That was pretty crazy,” Russell said after the race.

“The sun was coming down, and you couldn’t see anything. I was shocked the Safety Car or VSC didn’t come out sooner... the car could've been anywhere. I’m just glad everyone was okay.”

That decision allowed some racing for drivers who had picked their way through the debris – leaving time for Lewis Hamilton and Oliver Bearman to pass Nico Hulkenberg to move into ninth and tenth respectively.

Russell says he "couldn't see anything" at the Sainz-Perez crashsite

The race ultimately finished under VSC conditions, with the caution remaining in place after the chequered flag.

Despite the chaotic end, Russell was pleased to secure third place, his second podium finish of the season, after a challenging weekend for Mercedes.

“There was so much hard work this weekend for everybody in the team,” Russell explained. “We had engine changes on my side, engine changes for Lewis—so much going on. Everybody worked incredibly hard.”

The race was far from straightforward for the 25-year-old Briton, who admitted to struggling early on.

“We had a really bad start; I was dropping back a lot,” he said. “But on the hard tyre, I think we were one of the quickest out there, and that was great. Getting past Max [Verstappen] was an added bonus, and to end up on the podium is just fantastic.”

While Russell was grateful for the result, he cautioned against overconfidence, noting that the podium finish came under unusual circumstances.

“We’ve got to be realistic—we should have finished fifth today. That was the true result. Hopefully, Singapore will be a slightly better weekend for us.”

Mercedes now look ahead to the next round in Singapore, hoping to build on their recent form and continue their push in the constructors' standings.

Red Bull Ferrari Mercedes FIA George Russell Sergio Perez