George Russell finished third in a thrilling Australian Grand Prix, only being outpaced by Lando Norris and Max Verstappen. After a race plagued by rain showers and subsequent retirements, Russell crossed the finish line unscathed. His teammate, rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who drove from P16 to P5 in his debut race, also drew attention.
“It was a fantastic race,” an enthusiastic George Russell commented after the Australian Grand Prix. “Hats off to Lando Norris, it’s not easy to lead such a race.” The McLaren driver crossed the finish line first, but was challenged during the race by teammate Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen. The Dutchman finished just 0.895 seconds behind his rival.
“Of course, I must also congratulate Antonelli,” Russell continued. His 18-year-old teammate, who made his debut for Mercedes in Melbourne, drove from a sixteenth starting position to an impressive fifth place. This puts Mercedes at the top of the constructors’ championship. “It’s great to finish on the podium in the first race, especially after such a dubious weekend,” Russell continued. “I really enjoyed it,” he said about the chaotic conditions at the Albert Park Circuit. “I was secretly hoping that those guys in front of me (Norris and Verstappen) would crash, but unfortunately that didn’t happen. McLaren is still very far away at the moment, but at the same time, this is a very nice result for the team.”
