Former Wisbech student outdrives World Champion
Former Wisbech Grammar School student George Russell claimed the first podium finish of his Formula One Grand Prix in Melbourne this morning (April 10).
Russell steered his Mercedes to third behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez. Russell’s Mercedes teammate and multiple world champion Lewis Hamilton finished fourth, although both were helped by the retirement of reigning champion Max Verstappen who dropped out of the race when second.
Remarkably given the tribulations suffered by Mercedes this season Russell is now second in the Drivers Championship behind clear leader Le Clerc.
Russell did finish second in the Belgian Grand Prix last year when driving a Williams, but that was a ‘race’ of just two laps behind a safety car after heavy rain meant it wasn’t safe to race competitively.
Russell said: "There is so much hard work going on back at base to try to get us back to the front, so to stand on the podium is special.”