Mercedes driver George Russell claims podium spot with DHL Fastest Lap

Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix was the last Formula 1 race before the summer break. It was preceded by a hectic qualifying session, in which Mercedes driver George Russell missed out on pole position by just 0.053 seconds and had to content himself with fourth on the grid behind Charles Leclerc. A top performance from the Brit would be needed to make it onto the podium.

At the start of the race, Russell took full advantage of the W16’s stronger performance in the cooler conditions, successfully fending off Lando Norris, who had fallen back at the start. The McLaren man was then forced to opt for a one-stop strategy in contrast to all the other main contenders. Russell’s new opponent in the race was now Charles Leclerc.

The Mercedes driver had to make up a gap of 14.5 seconds. After his second pit stop on lap 43, Russell set off in pursuit of Leclerc. On his first flying lap (45), he set the DHL Fastest Lap with a time of 1:19.409 minutes.

On lap 62 of 70, Russell passed Leclerc to secure a podium finish at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Russell was delighted with his sixth Top Three finish of the season: “This whole weekend has been a bit surprising for everyone, but I’m so happy to be back on the podium.”