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George Russell left the United States Grand Prix in Austin frustrated after finishing sixth — the same position he held from the very first corner. The Mercedes driver admitted after the race that Formula 1 has lost some of its thrill for him, describing modern Grands Prix as “just a sprint to Turn 1.”
A disappointing weekend in Austin
Russell arrived in Texas full of confidence after his victory in Singapore two weeks earlier, but things quickly took a different turn. The Brit couldn’t keep up with Max Verstappen’s pace at the Circuit of the Americas, and his hopes of another podium soon disappeared.
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“I had a good start,” Russell told F1 TV, “but Max managed to hold off Lando’s attack. I expected Lando to go around the outside to defend from Charles, but he didn’t. I got stuck behind him, and both Lewis and Oscar went past — that was really frustrating.”
“It’s just a race to Turn 1”
Russell’s frustration went deeper than one race. The Brit argued that overtaking in modern Formula 1 has become increasingly difficult. “These days, it’s just a race to Turn 1,” he said bluntly. “There’s no tire degradation anymore. Between the fastest and slowest cars in the top six, there’s maybe three-tenths of a second — and you need at least half a second to make a move.”
The Mercedes driver summed up his weekend with a touch of irony: “If I’d come out of Turn 1 in third, I would’ve finished on the podium. Instead, I came out sixth — and finished sixth.”
Searching for the spark again
Russell’s comments reflect a growing concern among drivers about how tight — and at times processional — modern Formula 1 has become. For a racer used to fighting for wins, a sixth-place finish and limited overtaking chances make for a long afternoon.
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