Williams driver George Russell has lamented the "stupid mistake" that cost him the first Formula One points finish of his career at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Russell, regarded by many as a future star and widely expected to one day replace either Lewis Hamilton or Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes, has been learning his trade since the start of 2019 with the Williams team. Last
year's car was by far the slowest on the grid, and while this year's car is an improvement, it's still a struggle for Russell to record a decent result.
And so, when the Englishman was running 10th behind the safety car with 10 laps of this morning's race remaining, it seemed as though he was in the box seat to finally get off the mark and score his first points.
That was before the mistake that he says he'll "never forget."
Weaving from side to side to keep the heat in his tyres, Russell lost control and hit the wall, ending his race on the spot.
A visibly upset Russell was spotted sitting on the grass beside the track, head in his hands, as he contemplated what had been thrown away.
Speaking after the race, Russell was asked what he needed to do to finally finish in the points.
"I don't know. Not make stupid mistakes like I did today," he replied.
"It was a race that I was pushing as hard as I could from lap one until then, the most aggressive I've ever been. And I wanted to continue that under the safety car because I knew that with the guys behind me on the hot new tyres, myself on the old tyres, if I had any chance of getting a point, I needed to be super aggressive.
"And obviously, as soon as I lost the car, I was already in the wall, and it's just gutting. Obviously really sorry to all the guys."
The 22-year-old later posted to Instagram: "I'll never forget this day, this mistake. I'll learn from it, be stronger for it. I'm so sorry to the whole team. No excuses."
That drew a response from Lewis Hamilton, with the sport's most successful driver replying: "George, you were giving it your all. It's OK to make mistakes and it's OK to feel the pain. I've made more than I can remember. You're great bud."
Russell's performances have caught the eye of former world champion Fernando Alonso, who will return to the sport in 2021, replacing Daniel Ricciardo at Renault.
"I think there are very talented drivers now in Formula One," Alonso told Sky Sports on the weekend.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CHDfW-SBvx6/?utm_source=ig_embed&"George Russell is the one that surprises me every weekend. How he's driving the Williams. Zero mistakes. I'm really surprised about his natural speed.
"So, if I have to say one name, Russell for the future is going to be my pick."
Having often dragged the Williams into places it doesn't deserve to be, Russell has earned a reputation as one of the best qualifiers in the sport. In the 34 races he's contested, he's never been out-qualified by his teammate.
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