George Russell criticised for suffering from characteristic ‘carelessness’ in Singapore crash
Timo Glock believes George Russell suffered from a typical “carelessness” when he crashed on the final lap of the Singapore Grand Prix.
Russell had looked in contention for just his second Formula 1 win on Sunday but he left empty handed after clipping the wall in the final lap.
Russell was left “devastated” after the accident, coming away with nothing when he had potentially looked favourite for victory while he charged in the final stint.
George Russell gives Ferrari the momentum over Mercedes
Former Toyota driver Glock believes it is not the first time Russell has shown a lack of concentration.
Russell’s evening quickly unravelled when he followed Lando Norris into the wall at Turn 10 but while the McLaren man got away with a light bump, Russell’s was more significant, sending him into the barrier and out of the race.
Glock believes this is something that “can happen to a Russell” and insinuated that it is not the first time the 25-year-old has made a costly mistake.
“Mercedes went full risk on George Russell, they put all their eggs in one basket, all in for the win,” Glock wrote in his Sky Germany column. “Russell pushed hard to close the gap to the front and fight for the podium and possibly victory.
“Then there was this little carelessness, which can also happen to a Russell. Up until then he had driven a faultless race. On a street circuit like Singapore, a millisecond of carelessness can lead you into a mistake and then the race is over for you, even on the last lap.”
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The crash cut Mercedes’ points haul from 27 to 15 which, considering it was Ferrari who won the race, put Mercedes under pressure in the Constructors’ standings. The Silver Arrows lead Ferrari by 24 points but Glock believes the momentum is in Maranello.
“In the race behind Red Bull, the momentum in the Constructors’ Championship is clearly with Ferrari at the moment,” the 41-year-old said. “You have to wait and see how the next races in Japan and Austin will go.
“At the moment, the Scuderia has found the way to keep the car in a good window over the race distance and has eradicated the mistakes they made before. They have more control now, also thanks to Fred Vasseur, whose work is starting to bear fruit.”
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