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Russell Gets Podium, but Mercedes Pace Missing: 'Lap Times Were Slow!'
British F1 driver George Russell may have stood on the Silverstone podium, but by his own admission, his performance was nothing to write home about – unless your home is full of self-criticism.
By Kritische Hans van den Broekma - 2026-07-07T06:17:34.000Z - 2 min read
Ah, the sweet taste of a podium finish, courtesy of someone else's misfortune! Classic. George Russell, our self-proclaimed future world champion, suddenly found himself on the podium after Silverstone. Second place—not to be sniffed at, you might think. But no, our British hero was less satisfied than after a DNF in Canada. Why? Because, as he so painfully honestly (or painfully clumsily) admitted, he still hasn't—really hasn't—got to grips with the Mercedes car. The lap times were slow, the performance mediocre, and the podium a lucky break. A stroke of luck named Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who suffered technical misfortune in the closing stages. Great for the points tally, less so for self-analysis.
“The feeling was good, but the lap times were slow,” Russell sighed afterwards. A classic quote from the confused driver's handbook, I'd say. For what is a 'good feeling' worth when your teammate constantly breezes past you as if you're standing still? Russell had previously suggested he made the mistake of blindly copying his teammate's setups—a top-tier amateur mistake we called him out for. Now, after another weekend hobbling behind Antonelli at Silverstone, he must confess again: 'I am still struggling to understand this car.' Round of applause for the consistency of his helplessness, folks.
Speaking of consistency: after this weekend, Russell sits 25 points behind Antonelli in the championship. A gap that, according to the man himself, is a 'fair reflection' of performance so far. 'He has done better than me so far this year, so he deserves to be ahead of me,' Russell stated. A rare moment of insight. Or was it a moment of pure despair? Oh well, he also noted losing 15 points in Monaco due to a drive-through penalty. Because yes, even when admitting shortcomings, we shouldn't forget the mitigating circumstances, right?
However, the ambition to fight for the championship remains firmly intact. At least, that's what he says. 'If I want to fight for the championship, performance needs to be better. I need to be better.' An empty slogan, or is there finally some genuine self-reflection behind it? It's not just Kimi, but also Lewis Hamilton who remains dangerously close in the standings. The battle with Ferrari is intensifying. So, dear George, perhaps it's time to trade that 'good feeling' in the car for actual fast lap times. Otherwise, we might consider handing him a manual for the W17, just in case he doesn't have one yet.