George Russell Refuses to ‘Sulk’ Over Strategy Call That Cost Him Sixth Place to Hamilton at Imola

George Russell has asserted that he won’t “sulk” after losing sixth place to his teammate Lewis Hamilton at Imola due to a Mercedes strategy call.



Russell ended up in seventh place behind Hamilton, despite running ahead for much of the race.



The team decided to pit Russell a second time, concerned that his tires wouldn’t last until the end.



This cautious strategy ensured he finished the race and also earned an extra point for Mercedes by securing the fastest lap on fresh tires.



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During the race, Russell asked over the radio if Hamilton would return the place to him at the end, but the request was denied.



Nevertheless, the 26-year-old appeared unfazed by the outcome.



“You are never going to be happy with a P6 and a P7. At the end of the day, as a team, we scored an extra point. I lost my position to Lewis.



“But, I am not going to sulk over losing a P6, to be honest,” said Russell.



Reflecting on their current standing, he added: “This is where we are now.



“A little bit in no-man’s land behind the Ferraris and the McLarens, and ahead of the midfield.”



Despite this, Russell emphasized the positive mindset within Mercedes, a team accustomed to frequent victories.



“To be honest, everyone is staying super motivated.



“The morale isn’t dropping at all which is really quite inspiring to see.



“Everyone is trying to make this work, and improve it.



“Everyone in Brackley and Brixworth are working at full gas right now.



“That’s great to see.



“We’ve just got to keep pushing.



“This weekend, we maximized it.



“The car was capable of P6 and P7.



“That’s where we qualified and that’s where we finished.”



Hamilton, who finished 35 seconds behind race-winner Max Verstappen, echoed Russell’s sentiments about Mercedes’ current situation.



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“We got points, that’s a positive. We’re in the middle of no man’s land, but that’s a strong finish, in general, for us.



“I don’t think there was much more to get,” said the seven-time F1 champion.



He downplayed the suggestion that he is struggling with the current circumstances, adding: “I don’t think it’s particularly tough – it’s where we are. So you just have to do the best you can.



“And that was the best we could.”
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