Austrian GP winner George Russell said he “couldn’t believe” how close his team, Mercedes, was to the leaders during the race.
Russell won Sunday’s Grand Prix as leader Max Verstappen and McLaren’s Lando Norris crashed after fighting for the top spot, resulting in punctures for both. This allowed the number 63 Mercedes, who was third, to overtake them and claim victory at the Red Bull Ring.
Speaking after the race, Russell said he “couldn’t believe how close we were to Lando [Norris] and Max [Verstappen], who I think was only about 12, 13 seconds behind.”
“I knew it [the race win] was a possibility,” Russell added. “The team have worked so hard. We’ve made so many strides since the start of the season.
“The last three races have been incredible, so [there’s] more to come,” the British driver assured.
“I think it’s no secret that Red Bull with Max and McLaren with Lando are still a little bit out in front,” Russell admitted, “but we’re always putting ourselves in that third-place position.”
Reflecting on the past races, Russell said Mercedes is “riding a bit of a wave,” and that they “probably could have won the race in Canada.”