‘Selfish’ George Russell blasted online for coaxing team to get Lewis Hamilton out of the way at Monaco GP
The Englishman is under attack for requesting Mercedes to invoke team orders, allowing him to fight for a podium at his teammate's expense
Follow Us
George Russell and Lewis Hamilton (credits: Sports Illustrated)
The Monaco GP proved business as usual for Red Bull and Max Verstappen, again securing victory. However, rival team Mercedes cannot lay claim to the same satisfaction. George Russell, in particular, rues his performance, believing he could have achieved much more. He finished behind his teammate Lewis Hamilton and also sustained a penalty.
George Russell, speaking to Sky Sports after the race, believes they missed out on a guaranteed podium due to his miscalculation and contact, warranting the penalty. However, notably during the race, the Englishman requested his team to invoke team orders so he could exchange positions with his compatriot Hamilton. This has attracted scrutiny and criticism on social media, with several slamming him for his requests.
Lewis Hamilton was involved in an intense battle with Esteban Ocon for P3 when Russell requested a shot fighting for the position instead of Hamilton. Parallelly, he was also under intense pressure from Charles Leclerc behind, and several believe he made this request to get an easy way out of defending against the Monegasque. Regardless, after a chaotic second half of the race, Russell ultimately crossed the line in P5.
Here is how fans reacted to George Russell’s requests on his team radio
The Englishman’s requests to his team to swap positions with Lewis Hamilton, despite himself also enduring a penalty, has been interpreted as selfish by fans. After the rain came bearing down, George Russell incurred a five-second penalty due to an unsafe re-entry onto the track. This occurred when he reversed his vehicle, leading to a collision with Sergio Perez.
As the race progressed, with Charles Leclerc of Ferrari breathing down his neck, he wished to be put ahead of his teammate battling for the podium, which has attracted scrutiny and heavy criticism. This is how fans reacted on Twitter to his actions:
George Russell finished in P5, trailing Hamilton, just managing to fend off the likes of Charles Leclerc. He will be enthusiastic to see the improvements Mercedes’ W14B challenger has in store on a conventional track to put the pressure on Aston Martin and begin their quest for regular podiums before they aim for race wins again.
In case you missed it:
- $200 Million worth Red Bull Monaco GP guest Neymar Jr. snubs Max Verstappen, proclaims his support for Lewis Hamilton
- Toto Wolff gives major update on Lewis Hamilton’s contract extension amidst Ferrari rumors, reveals longstanding pact between them
/techfirstnow/media/agency_attachments/kATjCXskQdJKkXN0OuqW.png)