George Russell's missing piece identified to fix mistakes after Canada's loss

Mercedes driver George Russell does not yet have enough experience at the front of the F1 grid to avoid mistakes when it “counts most”.

That's the opinion of F1 presenter Natalie Pinkham, encouraged by the British driver's self-critical attitude after a disappointing Canadian Grand Prix.

Did George Russell's inexperience cost Mercedes dearly in Canada?

Russell claimed his second career pole position in Montreal, but could only place third – behind Red Bull's Max Verstappen and McLaren's Lando Norris – on race day after making a series of errors in poor conditions. changing.

Despite securing Mercedes' first podium of the 2024 F1 season, Russell showed sadness after the race, admitting he felt he had “let the team down a bit” with his mistakes on track.

Mercedes has largely struggled since Russell became Lewis Hamilton's teammate at the start of the 2022 F1 season, with the former taking the team's only victory of the ground effect era at Interlagos ago two years.

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Appearing on the F1 Nation podcast, Pinkham said Russell's lack of experience competing on the front lines was reflected in his mistakes in Canada.

She said: “He is clearly a hugely talented driver, but he hasn't had enough experience at the front to hone his skills when it matters most and he still made some somewhat costly mistakes.

“And he will definitely fix them, because he has the talent to do it.

“It’s just great to see him again in a very fast car at the front. This is what he's been waiting for, this is what he's been waiting for so patiently all these years.

“A decent car with his experience is coming together and hopefully they can reap the rewards.”

Pinkham felt that Russell's reaction at the end of the race was a good sign, comparing it to that of Kevin Magnussen after the sprint race in Miami, where the Haas driver openly admitted that he deserved to be penalized for having repeatedly blocked Hamilton's Mercedes.

She explained: “It's very endearing when someone is critical of themselves, because you think the first person you need to look in the mirror is yourself. Charles (Leclerc) does it too.

“You almost have to create an image of yourself that you want others to buy into.

“If you're the first person to publicly say it was my fault, then a few months later we might not even remember what happened, but we'll say, 'But wasn't- Isn't it George's fault?'

“We might not think that if he hadn't talked about it. Always be positive and constructive, but you also need to take ownership.

“I really loved it when Kevin Magnussen owned it in Miami when he said, 'Actually, no, I deserve these penalties.'

“It was so refreshing because so many drivers try to blame each other. Maybe it's just part of his personality. I think it's a rather endearing trait.

“But ultimately he wants to build a really positive brand for his racing and you want everyone to buy into that then.

“Don’t fool us, but be confident in your claims about how capable you are of driving.”

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