Post-Japan GP criticism hits George Russell: “He threw the race away”. No one is spared from criticism after the Japanese GP.

The Japanese GP sparked criticism and raised questions on all fronts, with George Russell also coming under fire. According to Ralf Schumacher, the Briton failed to maximize his result like his teammate did at Suzuka, losing the chance to get closer to the podium.

The weekend in the Land of the Rising Sun brought up several concerns. Ferrari, for instance, still seems to be struggling and far from podium contention, with Lewis Hamilton showing more weaknesses than Leclerc.

McLaren’s defensive strategy also raised many eyebrows, as the team appeared content to simply follow Max Verstappen. On top of that, there was widespread criticism about the lack of overtaking during the race, attributed to how difficult it is to follow another car in dirty air.

George Russell also drew criticism from Ralf Schumacher. The Brit started the 2025 season well, taking two podiums in Australia and China. However, a mistake during his Q3 lap at Suzuka cost him the fight for pole and left him starting from fifth on the grid.

During the race, George Russell made a few timid attempts to attack Charles Leclerc but eventually finished in the same position he started. According to Ralf Schumacher, the result could have been better had he not made that qualifying error.

“Russell, whom we’ve often described as having great potential,” Ralf Schumacher told Backstage Boxengasse, “also has the speed, but he simply made a mistake. That’s the way it has to be looked at.”

“In qualifying, in the first sector, he already threw it away—along with the chance to take pole position and win the race. The car was there. As for Kimi Antonelli, it’s still too early [to judge], but then you look at his race pace: he was in traffic, but he did a great job in that respect. And in my opinion, Russell shouldn’t be allowed to stay in that kind of condition,” he continued.

“He needs to do more, because that’s what makes a world champion in the end. Look at Max Verstappen—he brings results like this home without making mistakes. He makes the car even better and doesn’t slip up.”