Wondering why George Russell retired? Formula 1 fans of Mercedes experienced a rollercoaster of emotions on Sunday at the British Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton‘s triumphant return to victory lane at Silverstone, his first win in 945 days, undoubtedly brought joy to the team and its supporters.
However, celebrations were dampened by the unfortunate retirement of Hamilton’s teammate, Russell, during the race. This has left many fans eager to understand the cause of Russell’s retirement. Understanding the technical issues behind Formula 1 George Russell‘s retirement will be crucial for fans seeking a complete picture of the race and the team’s overall performance.
So, here’s everything you need to know regarding why George Russell had to retire early.
Why did George Russell retire?
George Russell had to retire his car during the British GP due to a water cooling system issue with his car.
After Mercedes took a 1-2 finish at the Silverstone GP qualifying on Saturday, they were all set to start on the front row for Sunday’s race and hopefully have both their drivers on the podium by the end of it. However, George Russell’s home race ended early after lap 34 due to a water cooling system issue with the car. His team confirmed the issue on the radio as they instructed him to return to the pits and retire the car.
This unfortunate incident seemed to happen very unexpectedly, as Russell also mentioned in a post-race interview that the car was doing very well during the weekend. “I had alarms on my steering wheel for some sort of water cooling failure. I don’t know what to say. The car had been so good,” Russell told Sky Sports after the race. He started the race in pole position and was fourth behind Norris, Hamilton, and Verstappen when he brought his car into to pits to retire from the race.
On the other hand, Lewis Hamilton won a race almost 3 years after his previous win at the Saudi Arabian GP in 2021. Additionally, it was also the British driver’s home race, which made the occasion even more special. “Honestly, I have never cried coming from a win, it just came out of me,” he said during the post-race press conference.
