George Russell has apologised to the Mercedes team for his “lapse in concentration” that led to his retirement at the Singapore Grand Prix. In the latter stages of the race, Russell was hunting Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz as he aimed to take his first victory of the season. The Mercedes driver had superior pace as he was on a softer compound with fresher rubber and was pushing to get by Norris in order to attack Sainz for the lead. But on the last lap, Russell clipped the barrier and was sent into the wall at Turn 10, undoing his good work throughout the race. "It was such a long race, physical race," Russell told Sky Sports F1 . "It was difficult to keep concentration when Carlos was doing a great job backing the pack up, not allowing us to do the alternative strategy. "I think we were half a car's length from winning the race, had I got past Lando when I had the opportunity, I think we'd have been able to get past Carlos. "Then just for last lap, [there was a] millimetre lapse of concentration and game over. I'm just very sorry to our whole team.”
‘How racing should be’
Russell’s mistake allowed teammate Lewis Hamilton to jump onto the podium, with the seven-time World Champion taking his fifth top-three finish of the season. Despite falling victim to the Singapore walls, Russell has asserted that being heavily punished for mistakes is the right way for Formula 1 to operate. "It was a really challenging race, the tyres are dropping off and you're pushing the limits," he said. "That’s how racing should be, you make a small mistake here and you're bitten for it, but it's heartbreaking after such a great weekend. "The car felt great, and qualifying was great. The race was great we were bold with the strategy. I feel like I’ve myself and the team down. It’s tough."
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