George Russell has described his satisfaction with managing to go wheel-to-wheel with Fernando Alonso at the Austrian Grand Prix - this despite missing out on points once again for his Williams team. Russell finished P11 after Alonso's Alpine finally got the better of the Brit in the closing stages. However, for the 23-year-old, there are still plenty of positives that can be taken into the next race weekend at Silverstone. "Yeah, I did everything I could. But, you know, ultimately, the speed Fernando [Alonso] had he was always gonna catch, he was absolutely flying," Russell told RacingNews365 and other selected members of the media. "I guess P11 was the maximum. Obviously, I've been in F1 for three years now, but that was the first time I've really battled with anybody. You know, I've had a couple of overtakes here or there, but I've never had a wheel-to-wheel battle. So I'm pleased that I held my own - didn't do anything crazy or silly. "I mean, it sort of reminded me of my junior days when you're battling multiple drivers week in week out. And I guess the biggest thing was just experience. Getting that feeling doing it in a Formula One car is very different with all the downforce and the dirty air - so you're just gaining experience." While fighting with a two-time F1 World Champion in Alonso was certainly a good experience for Russell, the lack of points will frustrate his team. Nevertheless, the British driver doesn't view it as a big shock given the relative lack of pace of his Williams car. "I'm not that disheartened to be honest because ultimately, you get what you deserve. And those guys passed and you know, we did a great job yesterday over one lap, but they were inherently that bit faster than us and were always gonna come through," Russell surmised.
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