F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Russell happy with Williams 'execution' in Bahrain

George Russell was predictably confined to the lower tier of F1's midfield in Bahrain, but the Williams driver nevertheless believes his team's race was "very well executed".

Russell's efforts in qualifying allowed the Briton to exit Q1 and line up P15 on Sunday's grid, a position he held for most of the race, enjoying scraps with Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel and seizing P14 from the Aston Martin driver five laps from the checkered flag.

Russell had given it his best shot but acknowledged that a better result would have been hard to come by on merit.

"I thought it was a pretty well-executed race to be honest," said the 23-year-old.

"In the middle stint, that's when I had that little battle with Kimi. I was on the fresher tyres and of course you lose three or four seconds or so due to that, which is a bit unfortunate, but it wouldn't have changed our outcome.

"I think given the pace of the car, given the conditions, I think it's a very well executed weekend, that was probably the maximum we could have expected. As I said, it's going to be a bit of a yo-yo season for us".

Looking ahead at the next venue, Russell ventured to guess that Imola's high-speed corners could help Williams' performance.

"It's very different to Bahrain, they're at opposite ends of the spectrum, you know," he said.

"Imola has a lot of high-speed corners, the angle of those corners are less - its more 90 degree corners as opposed to the 180-degree corners as we see in Bahrain," Russell stated.

"It's very enclosed with all the trees and the buildings around, so we go to the extremes really."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

Recent Posts

Abu Dhabi GP: Norris comfortably tops FP2 from Verstappen

Lando Norris closed out Friday at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with authority, topping the…

6 mins ago

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Free Practice 2 - Results

Full results from Free Practice 2 for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina,…

16 mins ago

Sutil denies fraud allegations, lawyer claims he’s a victim

Intrigue is swirling around Adrian Sutil after Grand Prix driver was arrested in Germany on…

1 hour ago

A final farewell to motorsport’s single Triple Crown winner

On this day in 1975, a somber mood enveloped St Albans Abbey in Hertfordshire as…

2 hours ago

Russell on McLaren’s team-order talk: ‘Not acceptable of fair’

As Abu Dhabi prepares to crown a world champion, McLaren has finally cracked the door…

3 hours ago

Abu Dhabi GP: Norris edges Verstappen in opening practice

Lando Norris opened the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend in commanding fashion, topping the…

4 hours ago