George Russell finished on the podium at the Barcelona Grand Prix, but that didn't stop Jacques Villeneuve from being particularly harsh on the Mercedes driver. According to the 1997 world champion, the Briton's performance revealed weaknesses incompatible with the ambitions of a world title contender.
Villeneuve doesn't mince words about Russell
Si Russell took advantage of his teammate's withdrawal Andrea Kimi Antonelli His performance level was not convincing in order to recover valuable points in the championship. VilleneuveThe Canadian believes that the pilot Mercedes Benz lacked aggression in decisive moments and never looked capable of competing with the fastest men of the weekend.
"He didn't look like a championship-fighting driver." " he judged Villeneuve.
A race that leaves questions
After shining in qualifyingRussell failed to replicate the same level of performance in the race. Overtaken by Antonelli before the latter's withdrawal and unable to keep up with the pace set by Lewis HamiltonHe gradually lost ground. VilleneuveThis difference between Saturday's and Sunday's performances remains one of the Briton's main weaknesses.
"In qualifying, he was impressive. In the race, he seemed to be reacting to events and lacking pace."
Rosberg shares the doubts
Nico Rosberg he also felt that Russell still had room for improvement when it came to converting his lap speed into race performance.
The former world champion believes that the pilot Mercedes Benz He remains one of the best on the grid in qualifying, but he still lacks that extra touch of control needed to dominate a Grand Prix from start to finish.
Russell remains pragmatic
For its part, Russell He didn't make any excuses after the finish. The Briton acknowledged that Mercedes Benz simply didn't have the speed to be worrying Classic Ferrari for sale in Barcelona. Nevertheless, he takes away the points scored and the fact that he reduced the gap in the championship after the withdrawal ofAntonelli.
However, the criticisms of Villeneuve are likely to generate discussion, as the fight for the title enters a crucial phase.
