Russell pinpoints reason behind high-profile crashes

George Russell has attributed his two high-profile Formula 1 crashes to simply "trying to extract more than is possible" after his Singapore mishap.

In the closing stages at Marina Bay, Russell was harrying Lando Norris for second with hopes of getting at race leader Carlos Sainz as he had used a new set of Medium tyres to carve through the field in the closing laps.

On the final lap, he clipped the entry wall at Turn 10, sending him out and costing the Mercedes driver a podium, that was inherited by team-mate Lewis Hamilton.

Back in 2020 at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola, Russell was in contention for points but crashed behind the Safety Car in embarrassing fashion.

Reflecting on the two incidents, Russell believes it is simply down to trying too hard to grab results, with a change in mindset from his junior days.

Russell's explains mindset

"I think there's definitely a reason for all of them, and that's just pushing to the limit and then on both occasions, pushing over the limit trying to extract more than what is possible," Russell told media including RacingNews365.

"When I look back at my championship-winning years in junior formulas, go-karts, F4, GP3 or F2, I was very much the driver that just kept on getting them results, and if you've got to compromise one position, it is a long game and that was very much my mentality last year, and it paid off well.

"Whereas this year, we're definitely rolling the dice a bit more and going for those big results. You saw it in Zandvoort [with the rain] we obviously got it wrong, but it was another reason why I am pushing myself above and beyond.

"When you ae going up against the best drivers in the world and testing yourself, you are not satisfied in coming home P2 or P3 - you are always chasing more.

"When I was at Williams and crashed, I knew I had to give it everything if I had half a chance [of keeping the position], so I'd have been kicking myself I didn't give it everything and lost the position.

"Equally in Singapore, I knew it was the last lap and if I just took it easy and Lewis overtook me, I'd equally be kicking myself so it's I think that's just part and parcel of racing and I do like the fact on the circuits you're bitten if you put a foot wrong."