Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has described George Russell’s resignation at the Styrian Grand Prix as “a shame” after the Williams driver appeared on the way to collect his first F1 points for the team.
Russell was promoted to a top 10 starting position after AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda was hit with a three-place penalty after qualifying due to disability of Valtteri Bottas.
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The 23-year-old took advantage of the majority of his first stint in eighth place, challenging Fernando Alonso for seventh place before he had to retire due to a drive problem.
Wolff expressed his condolences to the Mercedes protégé, who is strongly linked to a change to the Silver Arrows for 2022.
“I saw George running straight into the top 10 – and fast – so when I saw the car break down, it was a shame for Williams and himself,” said Wolff
“But nobody doubts his speed and his quality as a driver. It’s a shame that Williams didn’t really take home a lot of points, which would have made a big difference in the championship. ”
F1 teams offer competitor comfort
In addition to Wolff’s comments, rival teams quickly praised Russell’s efforts after he tweeted, “This one hurt.
“Every single member of the team should keep their heads up today. We were up there because of our performance. The race can be brutal, but we keep fighting.”
Bad luck today, George. Our sport can be cruel. Keep putting the pressure on and I’ll see you on the track next week. 
– McLaren (@ McLarenF1) June 27, 2021
You did a great job today, George. Keep pushing, we can’t wait to have some fights with you next weekend.
– Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team (@ AstonMartinF1) June 27, 2021
Another opportunity next week, George!
– Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@ MercedesAMGF1) June 27, 2021
The post F1 sympathy for Russell after “heavy loss of points” first appeared on monter-une-startup.
