Russell reckons mistake against Piastri ‘cost us at least P2’

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George Russell believes he missed out on at least a second-place finish in the Canadian GP because of a mistake he made while battling McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in the closing stages of the race.

From pole position, Russell held his own for 20 laps in the wet and tricky conditions before he was overhauled by both Lando Norris and future race winner Max Verstappen.

The Briton recouped second after the first safety car but then fell back into the clutches of Piastri and Lewis Hamilton, with the former gaining the upper hand during the race’s second neutralization.

As an incisive Russell fought back, a moment with Piastri at the final chicane just ten laps from the checkered flag forced the Mercedes driver to take to the run-off area, which killed his momentum and allowed Hamilton to overtake his teammate.

Read also: Verstappen comes out top in a wild and wet race in Montreal

But Russell pressed on and eventually managed to overhaul both drivers in the final laps of the race to seal his spot on the podium.

“It felt like a missed opportunity to be honest,” said Russell as he summed up his afternoon at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

“We were really quick at the beginning of the race on the inters, and then obviously Lando came through really fast. So then we jumped back onto the slicks, made a couple of mistakes out there, just pushing the limits.”

Russell clearly rued his near clash with Piastri as he believed that it had caused him to leave at least a runner-up spot on the table.

“We had the pace,” he said. “Max was very strong at that point in the race. But then when we put the mediums on at the end, we were really, really fast.

“I think that mistake with Oscar, when I tried overtaking him and I lost the position to Lewis, cost us at least P2 and maybe we could have fought with Max late in the race.

“But we’ll take all the positives from this weekend. First podium, first pole position of the year and exciting moving forward.”

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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.