26/05/2025 12:20
George Russell has flippantly waved off his drive-through penalty at the Monaco Grand Prix, claiming he "didn't really care" because he was outside the points-paying positions. The Mercedes driver started P14 in Monte Carlo after hitting a bump on the street circuit caused his power unit to lose power during qualifying. Despite the novel two-stop mandated race, the Briton knew he was in for a difficult afternoon , which was exacerbated by the new obligation, with drivers deliberately backing up the field to afford team-mates ahead time to complete both enforced stops. It was a strategy employed effectively by Racing Bulls and Williams, with Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson finishing sixth and eighth in the principality, whilst Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz rounded out the top 10. "We had planned with Kimi and I to basically do the same strategy as what VCARB [Racing Bulls] and Williams implemented with the two drivers," Russell told media including RacingNews365. "But, ultimately, qualifying 14th and 15th, there is nothing you can do. You pit on lap one, we'd have finished nowhere. You go long, we finished nowhere. "Ironically, I finished in a higher position by doing my manoeuvre with Alex [Albon] than I would have done if I hadn't. So that in itself proves the system is pretty flawed." Russell: 'I didn't really care...' Initially, Sainz backed the pack up to allow Albon to pit, who subsequently let his team-mate through to do the same. At which point, Russell became fed up with the team play and skipped the Nouvelle Chicane to get past Albon, even though Sainz was just up the road. The stewards took a dim view of it, giving him a drive-through penalty when a lighter punishment was anticipated. "I was a little bit surprised, but I've got to be honest, I didn't really care, because I was out of the points," Russell conceded. However, the three-time grand prix winner maintained he had no regrets, adding: "I didn't get a chance yesterday to enjoy Monaco, and I just said: 'Screw it, I want to enjoy Monaco. I want to enjoy driving this track full gas. It's one of the best circuits in the world.' "And that's what I did. The last 25 laps was the most fun I've had all weekend. Pretty exhilarating. I was really pushing my limits, testing myself. "And as I said, ironically, if I didn't do this, I would have finished maybe 15th or 16th."
