Mercedes "can’t get carried away" with Hungarian GP result, claims Russell
Although Mercedes displayed a much improved performance at last weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix, the "strange" conditions at the Hungaroring prompted Mercedes driver George Russell to claim that the Brackley-based outfit "can’t get carried away" with the result.
Mercedes had looked to struggle for pace at the start of the Budapest weekend with their W16 that featured the previous-specification rear suspension.
However, George Russell went on to secure fourth place on the grid on Saturday, albeit his rookie team-mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli failed to qualify higher than P14.
At the start of the 70-lap Mogyoród race, Russell was opportunistic, picking off Lando Norris to run third. Although he had appeared to finish in fourth place, he managed to pick off Charles Leclerc after the Monegasue battled through technical issues. In the end, Russell finished third to claim his first podium finish since his dominant victory at the Canadian Grand Prix.
His team-mate Antonelli made up several positions at the start. The Bologna-born then committed himself to a one-stop strategy, and he racked up 48 laps on the same set of hards to finish tenth in Mogyoród, picking up a solitary point.
Speaking of his race at the Hungaroring, Russell noted: "It’s great to be back on the podium. We’ve taken a step forward with the car this weekend, so it is a deserved reward for the hard work of everyone at Brackley and Brixworth.
"It looked like we were on for a lonely P4, but we closed on Leclerc in the closing stages. The overtake itself was a little dicey; I committed to the corner, and he clearly moved under braking, for which he was given a penalty. Thankfully there was no harm done and we were able to take P3.
"This result gives us encouragement heading into the summer break and we can look forward to the final 10 races of the year now with more confidence.
"We can’t get carried away as we didn’t expect to be in the top three this weekend. We know the competitive order behind McLaren is tight and we will need to be at our best to fight for podiums consistently in the second half of the season."
