Russell outclassed Verstappen: 'Defended incredibly well'

Whereas Mercedes fell short of Ferrari and Red Bull during the first five races, it was noticeable in Barcelona that the racing stable had made a clear move toward the competition. After the retirement of Charles Leclerc, Russell was suddenly in front and was in the way of Verstappen and Perez for a long time.

"George did an incredible job at defending," Mercedes' Motorsport Strategy Director stressed in The Debrief of the formation. "He really was very good at both under-breaking but also really just positioned the car where it needed to be. He dit that relative to Perez for quite a few laps."

Verstappen sought the attack on Russell

Then the Austrians opted to swap Perez and Verstappen, so this time it was the Dutchman who sought the attack. However, Verstappen continued to suffer from problems with his DRS system, giving Russell a slight advantage. "It was a little bit of lady luck on our side."