George Russell opened up about his rapid departure from the Mexico City paddock following a frustrating Grand Prix that saw his race and season hopes derail once again.
Disappointment on Race Day
Starting from second on the grid, Russell’s prospects soured immediately after an energy deployment problem at the start. Contact with Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar earned him a 10-second penalty and left him to settle for sixth place, as Mercedes teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli clinched the world title with a podium finish.
After briefly congratulating Antonelli, Russell left the circuit before fulfilling his mandatory post-race media duties—a hasty exit that resulted in a €5,000 fine for Mercedes.
“I Was Just Very Upset”
Ahead of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, Russell explained his actions:
“In racing you always pick yourself back up and for me the best way to pick myself back up was getting out of there… I just couldn’t believe how things had panned out again…99% of the time I’m a true professional and I try not to spit my dummy out, but sometimes missing out on doing the press—OK, it’s not ideal but not the end of the world.”
Russell admitted the season’s setbacks had taken their toll, noting,
“I don’t think I’ve ever had this many setbacks in my career… I went through the season with my engineer and realized we had six trouble-free races and 14 with issues.”
Looking For Perspective
Russell wrapped up his remarks by saying he simply needed a break after another tough race:
“As much as I love talking to you [the media] after the race, I didn’t really fancy it… I’m gonna just get out of here and go for a nice dinner and think about something other than the rubbish season we’ve had.”
The Briton will hope for better fortune as the F1 season heads to Brazil.
