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After an encouraging qualifying
for the 2020 Emilia Romagna where he would finish thirteenth Williams
racing's George Russell would start Sunday's race with the hope that he
could secure the teams first points of the 2020 season. In previous races
George had been in a similar position to score points but there had been
issues outside the team's and George's control. Such as the race at Mugello
where George was comfortably in the points only to have a Safety Car period
end his chances with others drivers being able to pass him in the closing
stages of the race.
But the race in Imola would see
George make a forceful positive start to the race. Over the course of
the opening stages of the race George was able to move into a position where
a points scoring result was looking a very strong possibility. But again
George would be faced with another Safety Car Period and it was at thtis
time that George's race turned into a disaster. In what George would later
say was as a “stupid mistake”, he would crash when running behind the Safety
Car.
The race had seen George make an
early pit stop at Imola, and with a reset of the race as a Safety Car was
deployed when Verstappen’s was to suffer a failure with his car that would
see him in the gravel the chances of George finishing in the points
was looking very good.
But on the approach to Acqua Minerale George would accelerate his car only
to have it brake away as a result of been on cold tyres after running behind
the Safety Car for a period of time. George's car would crash into the
barrier causing major damage to his car and seeing him forced into
retirement. George was able to get out of his damaged Williams and could be
seen sitting with his helmet still on with the visor down no doubt totally
gutted by what just happened.
In a later interview started with the question George what do you have to do
to get a point George answered: “I don’t know, not make stupid mistakes like
I did today. It was a race I was pushing as hard as I could from lap one
until then, the most aggressive I’ve ever been.
“I wanted to continue that under the Safety Car as I knew that with the guys
behind me on the new hot tyres, myself on the old tyres, if I had any chance
of getting a point, I needed to be super aggressive. As soon as I lost the
car, I was already in the wall. It’s gutting. I’m really sorry for all the
guys.
He added: “I was accelerating and I was changing gear at the same time. With
cold tyres, this sometimes happens with cold tyres. It was my job to work
them as hard as I could. There’s no excuses. Go away and learn from this and
try and come back stronger next time.”
As for whether he could take any positives from a race where he crashed his
car. George responded: “We were in that position on merit. I managed to jump
Ocon, pulled away from him in the early phase of the race and I was the same
pace as the McLarens ahead of me. The car was alive this weekend. It will
come.
“We’re understanding it better and better, week in, week out. My first laps
have been poor. I made quite a bold, aggressive move on Sebastian in the
first corner, which is something I have been wanting to work on, and like I
say, I feel like some times I’ve been too conservative in races and
definitely found the limit today.”
There was no doubt in the manner and words from George that he was totally
gutted by his mistake that had seen the Williams team lose what was looking
at their best chance of scoring points this season so far.
But George would see words of
support come from several other Formula One drivers who have gone through
the same disappointment. One drivers was race winner Lewis Hamilton who
said: "George, you were giving it your all. It’s ok to make mistakes and
it’s ok to feel the pain. I’ve made more than I can remember. "You’re great
bud. Keep your head up and keep pushing, on to the next one."
Haas' Romain Grosjean also commented saying: "Man, I know the feeling. Will
take some time to forget it, but what you do is mega. Keep pushing."
And F1 veteran and Channel 4 commentator David Coulthard also offered a
message of support.
Coulthard said: "Small blip in a long career ahead of you in F1. Don’t worry
about and keep showing us what you’re made of." |
