Ahead of this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix, George Russell has addressed a comment he recently made, with it having given the impression that he didn’t “feel comfortable” racing against a few drivers on the grid.
Russell interestingly stated that there were “three drivers” in Formula 1 which he felt uncomfortable around on the circuit; however, he failed to name any of the individuals.
As a result, fans began to guess who the 25-year-old was talking about, with many having pointed the finger at rookies Logan Sargeant and Nyck de Vries.
“[There are] maybe three drivers on the grid who you wouldn’t feel comfortable going against,” Russell was quoted as saying.
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“There’s a trust between most of the drivers. I don’t think [they] have the spatial awareness of others.”
Following his comments, Russell has since stated that what he’d said was taken “out of context”.
The Mercedes driver has clarified that he wasn’t by any means stating that some drivers aren’t good when it comes to wheel-to-wheel racing, with his comments having instead been directed at the very best on the grid.
Russell has explained that his comments were aimed at what it’s like to fight against the likes of Max Verstappen, with him being a “cut above the rest”.
He insists that all the drivers on the grid are the “very best in the business” and are ‘extremely talented”, despite his questionable recent comments.
“It was something taken a little bit out of context when asked how it was racing with Max and if he is less aggressive and whether I enjoy racing with him or not,” Russell told the media, including RacingNews365.com.
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“I said I enjoy racing, or more comfortable racing the very best guys in the business, more so than some of the others who don’t have the spacial awareness of the greatest ones on the grid.
“Every single driver on this grid is an extremely talented driver and everyone has won in their respective categories on their journey.
“But clearly, there are two or three drivers who are a cut above the rest.”