Mercedes technical director James Allison has revealed that the
team feared George Russell would emerge from the Baku pit lane
behind Carlos Sainz, having judged the gap as "on the bubble".
Despite battling illness, Russell put on an excellent display in
the Azerbaijan Grand Prix to seal second place, making three
positions from where he started. The Mercedes driver performed a
long opening stint in an attempt to overcut both team-mate Kimi
Antonelli and Sainz, who had been in second and third for much of
the race. As Russell entered the pit lane in the closing stages,
the Silver Arrows expected him to rejoin the circuit behind Sainz.
However, a strong in-lap and a well-performed pit stop by the
Brackley-based outfit saw the Briton emerge back onto the circuit
still in second, and comfortably ahead of Sainz. Allison revealed
the team's concerns ahead of the pit stop that Sainz would move
back ahead of Russell, but that everything came together to retain
the position. "That was an exciting time in that race," said
Allison. "We were watching lap after lap with George right on the
bubble of being able to make that overcut work. "We actually
thought that he was a little bit behind, and that he was going to
come out right on the tail of Sainz and have to get by on the
track. So it was a fantastic thing to see him emerge in front, and
by a second or so. "And it was one of those pit stops where
everything came together. It wasn't just that the guys on the guns
and the wheel handling, that all that went as per choreographed and
really slick. That did happen, but it was more than that. "If
you'd watch George's in lap, he absolutely smoked the in lap and
really took a lot of time away, much more than we expected, in the
way he got round the second half of that in lap. "And it was just
brilliant seeing it when it all comes together like that, and the
overcut happens. It's a great feeling."
team feared George Russell would emerge from the Baku pit lane
behind Carlos Sainz, having judged the gap as "on the bubble".
Despite battling illness, Russell put on an excellent display in
the Azerbaijan Grand Prix to seal second place, making three
positions from where he started. The Mercedes driver performed a
long opening stint in an attempt to overcut both team-mate Kimi
Antonelli and Sainz, who had been in second and third for much of
the race. As Russell entered the pit lane in the closing stages,
the Silver Arrows expected him to rejoin the circuit behind Sainz.
However, a strong in-lap and a well-performed pit stop by the
Brackley-based outfit saw the Briton emerge back onto the circuit
still in second, and comfortably ahead of Sainz. Allison revealed
the team's concerns ahead of the pit stop that Sainz would move
back ahead of Russell, but that everything came together to retain
the position. "That was an exciting time in that race," said
Allison. "We were watching lap after lap with George right on the
bubble of being able to make that overcut work. "We actually
thought that he was a little bit behind, and that he was going to
come out right on the tail of Sainz and have to get by on the
track. So it was a fantastic thing to see him emerge in front, and
by a second or so. "And it was one of those pit stops where
everything came together. It wasn't just that the guys on the guns
and the wheel handling, that all that went as per choreographed and
really slick. That did happen, but it was more than that. "If
you'd watch George's in lap, he absolutely smoked the in lap and
really took a lot of time away, much more than we expected, in the
way he got round the second half of that in lap. "And it was just
brilliant seeing it when it all comes together like that, and the
overcut happens. It's a great feeling."
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