George Russell received unexpected support after his frustration reaction at the Formula 1 Canadian GP. The former category driver and current commentator, Martin Brundle, stated that the fine penalty applied to the Brit was ‘money well spent’, after the retirement that took the Mercedes driver out of the fight for victory.
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Russell retired from the race after suffering a terminal failure in the power unit, while leading the race in an intense battle against teammate and championship rival, Kimi Antonelli. The two protagonized several wheel-to-wheel fights during the race, coming close to contact at times.
Brundle praised the battle between the Mercedes drivers and highlighted the balance between experience and speed within the German team. According to the Sky F1 commentator, Russell and Antonelli are experiencing a very similar moment in terms of track performance.
“There is practically nothing separating Russell and Antonelli at this moment. Experience and intelligence seem to perfectly combine with speed and enthusiasm, and that is why they keep meeting in the middle of the corners,” Brundle wrote in his column.
The former driver also recalled the most intense moments of the battle, especially at the braking of turn 10, where the two drivers often appeared side by side. However, the battle ended abruptly when Russell’s car had engine problems.
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Visibly frustrated with the retirement, the Brit threw the headrest support from the cockpit out of the car. The object fell onto the track and immediately caught the attention of the FIA stewards, who summoned Russell after the race to explain the incident.
During the hearing, the Mercedes driver admitted to being ashamed of the attitude taken in the heat of the moment. The stewards applied a five thousand euro fine, suspended for twelve months, but Brundle showed understanding of the Brit’s reaction.
“In his despair, he threw the headrest support out of the car, which resulted in a five thousand euro fine suspended for twelve months. In my opinion, it was money well spent as a way to deal with the extreme adrenaline rush and disappointment. I’ve been through that,” concluded the former driver.
