Mercedes F1 star George Russell admits one thing has been ‘pretty crazy’ in 2023

Follow us on Google Discover

George Russell finds it ‘pretty crazy’ that the Mercedes driver only has one podium to his name ahead of the 2023 Formula 1 season finale at the Abu Dhabi GP this Sunday.

The 25-year-old stood on the rostrum for the first and so far only time this year back in June at the Spanish GP. Russell came home in third place at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya to Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. He held off Sergio Perez to take a spot on that podium.

Russell finished three seconds ahead of Perez after they climbed through the field from P12 and P11 on the grid. But the Kings Lynn native was 32 seconds from race winner Verstappen at the finish line. Mercedes teammate Hamilton was also eight seconds ahead after 66 laps.

Russell finds the Mercedes driver’s dire podium record ‘pretty crazy’

Just having one Grand Prix podium to his name through 21 rounds this season marks a huge drop-off for Russell. He achieved eight rostrums through the Briton’s debut year driving with Mercedes in 2022. The Norfolk native further won the Sao Paulo GP for his first victory in F1.

Mercedes further saw Russell claim his first and so far only pole position in Formula 1 at the 2022 Hungarian GP. The race near Budapest returned one of his six third-place results last year. The former Williams pilot further took one second place finish in 2022 at the Dutch GP.

Russell rues the Mercedes driver’s ‘missed opportunities’ in 2023

Yet despite claiming eight Grand Prix podiums and a win in 2022, Russell did not feel his first year at Mercedes was anything special. This year has been another matter, though, with just 160 points to get eighth place in the drivers’ championship. He was fourth in 2022 with 275.

“Last year was plain sailing,” Russell has told The Telegraph. “I wouldn’t say it was anything special. It felt like a pretty normal season. But this year, it’s been one thing after another…

“And I think you can have one missed opportunity or two missed opportunities. But when you start having seven or eight or nine missed opportunities, that’s something I need to look at and question.

“If I had had a smooth season like last year, we could have been on the podium eight or nine times this year. Instead, we’re sitting here now with one podium to my name. And I find that pretty crazy.”

Contact with Hamilton at the Qatar GP ruined Russell’s best chance

Russell has driven his Mercedes to fourth three times so far in 2023 ahead of the Abu Dhabi GP finale. He missed out on the podium at the Saudi Arabian GP to Fernando Alonso by five seconds. Aston Martin star Alonso also beat him to the Miami GP podium by seven seconds.

But the Qatar GP was Russell and Mercedes’ biggest wasted chance for not just the podium but potentially the win. Contact with Hamilton at the first corner forced Russell to pit on the first lap. The Silver Arrows teammates were putting Verstappen under pressure for the lead.

Hamilton took full responsibility for their incident which forced the seven-time F1 champion to retire on the spot. While Russell made a brilliant recovery drive to finish in fourth place at the Lusail International Circuit. But he took the line 29 seconds behind Lando Norris in third.