“[Ferrari] hindered my chances of going for victory”: Russell settles for second in Shanghai

Written by Charlotte Mui

Credit: Formula One

After winning Saturday's sprint race, many expected George Russell to convert his strong form into a full race victory at the Shanghai International Circuit. Instead, the Mercedes driver had to settle for second place on Sunday as his teammate, Kimi Antonelli, took his maiden victory.

A qualifying issue for Russell helped Antonelli secure pole position on Saturday. Despite that, Russell's greater experience, combined with Antonelli's difficulties off the start, meant many still expected the Briton to take control of the race.

However, events unfolded differently.

As the lights went out, both Ferrari drivers immediately surged ahead of the two Mercedes cars. The strong launch shaped the early stages of the race.

Reflecting on the moment, Russell admitted the start cost him a chance to challenge for victory: “Obviously race start, Ferrari got the upper hand on us [...] that hindered my chances of going for victory.”

The safety car restart, however, was perhaps the nail to the coffin of his victory hopes.

When Lance Stroll's Aston Martin stopped on track, the safety car was deployed, prompting a a wave of pit stops among the frontrunners, with the leading four cars all diving into the pits at roughly the same time.

At the restart, both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were able to bring their hard tyres up to temperature more quickly, allowing them to challenge Russell immediately.

The lost track position ultimately left Russell unable to mount a late charge for victory.

Despite missing out on the win, Russell is still very much the favourite to win the championship, especially with the pace advantage the Mercedes seems to have. He will need to be careful, however, to not let his younger teammate gain momentum throughout the season. 

Russell was quick to praise Antonelli after the race, congratulating him on his first Formula One victory: "Kimi did a great job, so really well done to him."

He also acknowledged the continued pressure from Ferrari across the opening races of the season: "“Ferrari once again, [...] three races down, three races they’ve made our life pretty awkward in most opening laps."

At the conclusion of the first two Grands Prix, the battle at the front looks to solely be between Mercedes and Ferrari, with the former having a significant pace advantage. It will be fascinating to see if the Scuderia can catch up with continued development, and how the intra-teammate rivalry at Mercedes will pan out.