George Russell has defended the Mercedes Formula 1 team’s questionable strategic calls that contributed to wasted opportunities during the Japanese Grand Prix.
Russell and his team-mate Lewis Hamilton had started on the Medium compound but a red flag on the opening lap prompted Mercedes to make a switch to Hards.
However, the squad’s strive to execute a one-stop race was foiled due to a lack of pace in the opening stages, which Mercedes boss Toto Wolff branded “atrocious”.
Mercedes would revert to a two-stop, with Russell finishing seventh and Hamilton, who let his team-mate pass amid damage on his car, trundling home in ninth place.
Russell believes that Mercedes made the correct choice to angle for a one-stop race at the restart, citing how retaining the Medium would have restricted its options.
“I think it was the right decision starting on the Hard because it gave us the flexibility to do the one-stop or the two-stop.
“If you start on the Medium after the red flag, you’re committed to the two-stop.
“It was a bit of a challenging first stint. I was stuck behind Lewis, I think he was struggling a little bit with the fronts and would have been good to be in that fight ahead.
“Because after that first pit stop, I think we were right on line with Lando [Norris] and Charles [Leclerc] ahead.”
Russell utilised his switch back to Mediums in the latter stages to close on the cars ahead but came across Oscar Piastri, who was tucked up behind Fernando Alonso.
The Briton detailed that he was aware Alonso was using cunning tactics to give Piastri DRS to prevent the fresher-rubbered Mercedes from threatening his sixth place.
“Of course, Fernando playing games, that’s new,” he remarked. “Yeah, it was smart from Fernando and I expected nothing less, so yeah, that’s part of racing.”
Russell attempted a lunge to the inside of Piastri at the chicane on Lap 50, which led to contact and the McLaren scampering across the run-off and remaining ahead.
But Russell would capitalise on a wide moment from Piastri into the same chicane on the penultimate tour to dispatch the Australian on the final lap to claim seventh.
Although the stewards cleared both drivers over their clash, Russell declared that he would have been protesting more for his rival to be penalised without his late move.
“Yeah, I mean it was a late move from my side, I was down the inside, made contact,” he assessed. “There was enough room for us both to stay on the track and he obviously continues.
“So I think I would have been a little bit more upset had I finished the race behind him in the end. Nothing gained, nothing lost from either.”
Despite another disappointing outing in 2024, Wolff was adamant that Mercedes had crafted “big gains” at Suzuka and is primed to make progress in the coming races.
Russell contends that Mercedes has been on the wrong side of tight margins in the pack behind Red Bull and has backed the upcoming tracks to suit the marque’s W15.
“I think when you look how close, there was three different manufacturers with Oscar and Fernando within a couple of seconds.
“I think the fact is, it’s extremely close between those four teams bar Red Bull, and I think it’s going to come down to qualifying.
“It was one or two attempts between P3 to P8 on the grid. It was the same in Bahrain as well, and I think whoever manages to qualify at the front of that pack will finish at the front of that pack will finish at the front of that pack. We know we have work to do and none of us are content with fighting for second best.
“We need to keep on pushing, but I think China and the tracks coming up will suit us better than the last three.”
