George Russell reacts to F1 Las Vegas GP podium: “I destroyed my tyres trying to chase Max”. George Russell reflects on his second-place finish at the Las Vegas GP.

Russell: “A great result for the team, but it was a tough race”

The British Mercedes driver leaves Las Vegas satisfied with a second-place finish, securing valuable points for his team and helping Mercedes maintain second place in the Constructors’ Championship with just two races remaining in the season.

More than just a podium

Two weeks after finishing third in the Sprint race at Interlagos, George Russell consolidated his fourth position in the Drivers’ Championship with another podium finish, this time at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Initially crossing the line in third, George Russell was promoted to second following the disqualification of both McLarens, also ensuring Mercedes retained its provisional second place in the Constructors’ standings.

Starting behind a surprising Carlos Sainz, the British driver steadily climbed into the top three during the race, later challenging compatriot Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, who ultimately dominated the event. Mercedes could also leave the United States encouraged by Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s impressive comeback, finishing fifth on track after a five-second penalty but promoted to third overall following the Woking team’s disqualification, despite the young Italian starting from 17th on the grid.

“It was a tough race, so I’m relieved to finish third and add another podium to our tally,” George Russell commented before the disqualifications were confirmed. “I had the opportunity to pressure Max in both stints, but in doing so I wore out the tires. This was especially true with the hard tires and made the rest of the race very challenging. At one point, I thought we might need another pit stop, but fortunately, we had a good gap behind us and managed our pace until the end to secure third. Kimi did a great job finishing fourth on track and fifth in the final standings. Overall, it’s a great result for the team, bringing home another solid haul of points. Our goal is to maintain second place in the Constructors’ Championship in Abu Dhabi, and now we head to Qatar with our advantage intact.” – the British driver pointed out at the end of the Las Vegas Grand Prix.