“It’s a bit of a shame for the sport” - George Russell not surprised by Red Bull’s pace in Miami

George Russell is not surprised by Red Bull Racing's monstrous pace at the 2023 Miami Grand Prix.

Reigning world champion Max Verstappen started the race in P9 but still managed to take a comfortable victory ahead of his teammate Sergio Perez.

Russell, meanwhile, managed to outqualify his teammate and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton in Miami and found decent pace in the 57-lap race. The Briton finished in fourth place, behind the two Red Bulls and Fernando Alonso's Aston Martin.

Mercedes driver Russell isn't fully convinced the Red Bulls have shown their true pace, owing to the lack of competition from the rest of the grid at the moment. The RB19 has emerged as the fastest car on the grid by some distance and has won every race so far in 2023.

Speaking about Red Bull's pace after the race, Russell said:

“I wasn’t really surprised, no. That’s where they are at the minute, we said at the start of the season, they’re so far ahead, they’ve got it easy at the moment. I wonder if they’re even running full power.”

He added:

“It’s a bit of a shame for the sport but kudos to them for the good work they’ve clearly done, and shown what it’s possible when you get it right. That’s what we’re gonna be chasing, let’s see what we can achieve.”

---

George Russell will not change the way he races despite an altercation with Max Verstappen

Following his heated argument with Max Verstappen during the 2023 Azerbaijan GP sprint race, George Russell has confirmed that he will stick to his driving style.

During the first lap of the sprint race in Baku, both drivers were engaged in a close battle, with Russell unintentionally causing damage to Verstappen's car as he overtook him. This resulted in a heated exchange between the two drivers after the race.

At the drivers' press conference before the 2023 Miami GP, where Sportskeeda was also present, Russell was asked if he intended to change his driving approach when racing against Verstappen after their clash in Baku. The Mercedes driver responded that he would continue to race as he always has and that he had put the incident behind him.

He said:

"I will continue racing the same way as I always would. A lot has been said about that coming together but from my side, it was pretty straightforward. I went for a move, got the move done and moved on. Obviously he was pretty upset about it but that’s racing and these things happen. And we're all here to fight so that's what everyone's about."

With Mercedes set to bring huge upgrades to Imola, it will be interesting to watch Russell's battle with the rest of the grid.