George Russell explained post-race why McLaren wasn’t the only team to win the strategy game in the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.
After pitting for dry tyres during a mid-race Safety Car period instigated by Fernando Alonso’s Turn 6 crash, Lando Norris was warned by his engineer Will Joseph that rain was on the way and it indeed fell hard in Sector 3 at the end of Lap 44.
Norris survived an off-track excursion before making a last-minute and “decisive” call with his team to pit, a strategy that helped protect his victory at the Albert Park Circuit.
And while the likes of Max Verstappen and the Ferraris stayed out, a gamble that didn’t pay off, Russell and his Mercedes team also made the call to pit at the end of Lap 44, which proved to be the right call as he claimed his 16th F1 podium.
Russel revealed post-race that Mercedes underwent a similar process to McLaren before the GP unfolded to ensure it nailed strategy in those vital moments.
“The process started this morning, to be honest,” he said.
“We had some really good conversations about how we were going to make these decisions, what they needed from me, what I needed from them.
“I knew the rain would be getting heavier, so it was down to me to make that decision.
“Similar to Lando, I made the call five seconds in advance, and the guys were ready to change the tyres.
“That was a key moment in the race. I’m really happy about it because these mixed-condition races—for both of us, to be honest—they’ve gone away from us in the last couple of races.
“When we look at Brazil last year, we both got it wrong with strategy. Also in Montreal, it kind of went away from us as well. I think now, just to be here, is a good result.”
Podium came by ‘staying out of trouble’
Russell’s podium takes Mercedes one shy of 300 in F1 and the Briton revealed that the result came by “staying out of trouble.”
Russell added that Mercedes’ pace deficit to the likes of McLaren and Red Bull in the hands of Verstappen meant he had no choice but to abort chasing those in front.
However, he had a buffer to the outfits behind, particularly Ferrari.
“I think just staying out of trouble [was key], to be honest,” he said.
“It was pretty clear from the beginning that these guys were too quick for us, and we were quicker than Ferrari. So, I was kind of in no man’s land.
“I made a decision quite early on that the best way to approach this race was just to bring it home.
“If I risked it more, there was no extra reward on the table because they were just so far ahead.
“Very difficult. As Lando said, any small mistake and you’d be punished. But pleased to come home with this result because I don’t think this is probably our strongest circuit.
“Especially after yesterday with the hot temperatures, I was also very happy with the P4 in quali.”
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