Mercedes had a better than expected start to the Australian Grand Prix, as both George Russell and Lewis Hamilton raced past Max Verstappen to seize P1 and P2.
While it might be thought the start would spark joy in the Mercedes garage, it actually left Russell frustrated with the team, as he demanded over the radio to know why he was being attacked by his teammate.
Having been told to conserve his tyres as long as possible, Russell was irritated that he was being forced to fight to retain the lead, rather than having Hamilton cover him by blocking Verstappen.
Since adding Russell to its line up, Mercedes has seemed to maintain a policy of allowing its drivers to fight it out on track, with team principal Toto Wolff saying there is “nothing” dividing the duo.
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Despite the row between the drivers, Mercedes managed to hold off the charging Dutchman, holding onto the lead in the opening stage of the race.
However, a shot at glory for the Silver Arrows in the third race of the season was snatched away amid possible the most chaotic race in F1 history, as multiple safety cars and red flags cause confusion for the teams.
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With a poorly timed pitstop pushing Russell back to seventh, the race would get worse for the Brit when his car caught fire, forcing him to retire.
Hamilton, on the other hand, managed to have a more successful day, claiming P2 to shatter another record, becoming the first driver in Formula 1 history to secure a podium in 17 consecutive seasons.
With the Aston Martins finishing in third and fourth place, the Silverstone team pulled away from Mercedes in the Constructors’ Championship, solidifying its grip on the second place spot.