According to George Russell, his crash into the barriers in Montreal was a result of his attempt to pressure Fernando Alonso during the Canadian Grand Prix.
Russell was trying to overtake Alonso after witnessing teammate Lewis Hamilton pass him early in the race.
The Mercedes driver hit the inside curb at Turns 8 and 9 and his W14 crashed into the exit wall, which proved to be a devastating mistake for his prospects of finishing on the podium or scoring points.
Despite having his front wing and rear right wheel damaged, Russell was still able to limp the car back to the pit lane. On lap 53, he would record a “DNF” for the race due to an additional issue with excessive brake wear.
“Apologies to the team, we’ve put so much hard work and effort into this weekend and a small mistake has had massive consequences,” Russell said after the race. “I was doing everything I could to put Fernando under pressure… I then ran a little bit wide and hit the kerb.
“Next thing I knew I was in the wall. That’s at least 12 points that we’ve left on the table today.
“We did a good job after that to get back into the mix. Sadly we had an issue with the brakes which forced us to retire the car.
“They felt okay from my side, but the team can see the data and could see that we couldn’t continue… I’m disappointed with the race today but there are positives we can take away.
“The car was quick on a circuit that we weren’t expecting to be that competitive and we took the fight to those around us.
“The team is doing a great job and the future is exciting. Let’s see what the upcoming races bring.”
