25-year-old F1 driver was ‘pretty miserable’ during Abu Dhabi GP despite scoring points yesterday

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Mercedes driver George Russell has admitted that he had a miserable time in his car in Abu Dhabi despite finishing on the podium.

Russell was speaking after the race, via The Athletic, as Mercedes ultimately had a positive conclusion to their 2023 season.

Mercedes and Ferrari were split by just four points going into yesterday’s finale.

Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz both struggled in qualifying, meaning that it was down to a shootout between Charles Leclerc and George Russell to decide who finished as distant runners-up to Red Bull.

Hamilton managed to chip in with two points that nearly made all the difference but Russell’s third-place finish was enough to secure Mercedes bragging rights over their rivals.

Russell admitted that he was miserable during the race in Abu Dhabi due to illness.

Before the race, he shared how ill he was feeling which cannot be a nice feeling when driving around a track at 200 mph.

It’s a feeling shared among the paddock with Esteban Ocon missing media duties on Thursday because he felt unwell.

The non-stop schedule at the end of the F1 season appeared to be finally taking its toll on the drivers and support staff.

Russell miserable during Abu Dhabi GP

Speaking about how unwell he felt, Russell said: “In the car, I was coughing every single lap, but when you’re strapped into the car, you can’t take a deep breath in to get the cough out.

“So, it was just constantly with me, and it was pretty miserable.”

Russell was seen coughing away in the cooldown room after the race alongside Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen.

It’s been a tough year for the 25-year-old who had only stood on the podium once before yesterday.

He suggested it was ‘pretty crazy’ that he’d only finished in the top three once this season ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and even if he felt miserable in the car, it would have slightly lifted his spirits.

Attention now turns to the winter break and Mercedes have plenty of ground to make up on Red Bull.

They’re arguably not as quick as Ferrari and McLaren either but the talent of Hamilton and Russell has made up for that.

The grid should theoretically close up ahead of 2024, but Red Bull’s huge advantage is going to be difficult to overcome.

The anticipation will quickly build over Christmas ahead of returning to testing in Bahrain.