08 June 2023 , 20:11
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George Russell is not yet the "completely finished article" in the eyes of David Coulthard.
The Spanish Grand Prix yielded the Brit's best result of the season so far. He finished third, one place behind Lewis Hamilton as Mercedes recorded their first double podium of the year.
After upgrades to their car, and on a track which suited it, the Silver Arrows showed impressive pace. But it was not a flawless weekend for the Brits, especially for Russell who only managed to qualifying 12th.
And that Saturday session yielded a hair-raising moment as the two team-mate collided. Russell squeezed Hamilton off the track as their front wings touched, causing damage to the more experienced Brit's car.
Coulthard was referring to that incident when he opined that Russell still has some way to go before he can properly challenge his team-mate. "George has still got a little chink in his armour," said the Channel 4 pundit.
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"That late movement in qualifying where they had contact, if you remember he's had some little drop the ball moments. He's not the complete finished article yet. He's pretty close. But Lewis Hamilton when he's back, he's back."
Coulthard's words come after he previously discussed Russell's situation on his podcast with Eddie Jordan. The Scot suggested the younger Brit will soon get a rude awakening over what it's truly like to fight against Hamilton when in his pomp.
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell collided during qualifying in Barcelona (Sky Sports)"You have two drivers at different phases of their career," he said. "The mighty Lewis is still in there, it just won't really show itself until the Mercedes is as mighty as it once was.
"George is just sort of constantly there. This is the best car he's ever driven, so he's not caught up with the baggage of Lewis trying to figure it out, 'Am I re-signing for another year?', 'Can I win another world championship?' So there's a lot more on his plate.
"George is doing a brilliant job, [he is an] absolute asset for the team. That's not to say Lewis isn't doing a brilliant job, it just means that the car isn't talking to him right now and when it does, expect him to be showing George why he won seven world championships."