Speaking to F1 TV after the race, Russell expressed his frustration, saying, “I’m kicking myself, to be honest. One small mistake cost us a podium. I came out of the pits comfortably ahead of Ocon and Lewis [Hamilton]. There was a yellow flag at Turn 5, I backed off, and as soon as I pressed the brakes, I locked up and followed the yellow flag. I think it’s almost a lesson that when you’re not focused or not on it, that’s sometimes when mistakes happen. I probably wouldn’t have made that mistake if there wasn’t a yellow flag there. Really, really disappointed because after that pit stop, it was basically a guaranteed podium.”
The race was significantly affected by changing weather conditions, with rain initially impacting only three corners of the circuit before becoming more widespread later on. Russell’s frustration was evident as he was unable to capitalize on the conditions that typically level the playing field in Formula 1 to some extent.
