Jenson Button predicts uncomfortable night for George Russell after ‘a lot of lost points’ for Mercedes
Mercedes driver George Russell has been backed to lead the team into the future.
Jenson Button believes George Russell “won’t sleep well” after a crash cost him and Mercedes dear in Montreal.
Russell was running in P4 when he went over the kerb coming out of Turn 9 and ended up crashing hard into the wall.
He was able to keep going, albeit with part of his front wing missing and a destroyed rear right wheel but despite an impressive recovery drive, the true extent of the damage would only be revealed late on when he was forced to retire with suspected damage to the brake duct.
Button said an incident like that will not sit well with Russell who cost Mercedes a fair chunk of points in Canada.
“Most corners around the world he’d be fine, he’s just run wide,” Button said on Sky Sports F1. “But you’ve got the walls up against the kerb here on the edge of the track. So it’s tricky but we all know that as well.
“It’s unusual for George to make a mistake like that. He won’t sleep well and will wake up pretty upset as well with himself but, you know, we’ve got Austria around the corner.
“But it’s a lot of points lost for the team, which we don’t normally say that with Mercedes because they’re out front a lot of the time and it’s not so important for them.
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“They’re actually in a fight in the championship with Aston and Ferrari aren’t too far behind.”
Russell said he just touched the kerb but because it struck the floor of the car, he was sent up into the air and lost control.
“I just went a bit deep into the right hander and through the left I just touched a kerb but I clearly hit it at the bottom of the car and next thing I knew was sort of up in the air,” he said.
“When I landed, I lost the rear and I was in the wall so kicking myself because such a small error with big consequences and that’s how it is on circuits like this. It’s not good enough from my side.”
