Mercedes driver George Russell expressed genuine surprise following his third-place finish at the Hungarian Grand Prix, acknowledging the unexpected nature of his weekend performance.
"Really happy with the race today. Qualifying was a bit of a surprise, this whole weekend has been a bit surprising for everyone," Russell stated after securing his podium position.
The British driver's satisfaction was evident as he celebrated his return to the top three.
"So happy to be back on the podium," he added, before reflecting on the improvement from Mercedes' recent struggles. "It's certainly better than the races we've recently had."
George Russell expressed his astonishment at the weekend of racing
|Getty
Russell's result came as a welcome boost heading into the summer break.
The Mercedes driver provided detailed insight into his fierce wheel-to-wheel combat with Charles Leclerc during the race.
"It was a bit dicey with Charles at some points," Russell explained. "When you commit to a bit of a divebomb, if the driver in front moves you are already right on the limit of grip and there's not much room to manoeuvre."
JUST IN: Lando Norris wins Hungarian Grand Prix as McLaren take one-two again
Charles Leclerc's penalty meant another podium finish for George Russell
|Getty
He confirmed physical contact occurred between the two cars, adding: "I think we made contact the second time. Just glad to get through it and a nice way to go into the break."
Russell later displayed his characteristic humour whilst watching footage with the McLaren drivers.
Observing Piastri's near-miss with Norris on the penultimate lap, he joked: "Why didn't you T-bone him, that would have been great!"
Ferrari's fortunes took a significant downturn when officials penalised Charles Leclerc with a five-second sanction for unpredictable conduct whilst battling Russell.
READ MORE: Tottenham star stretchered off after 'brutal' pre-season injury in big blow for Thomas Frank
The punishment demoted the Monaco native to fourth place, intensifying an already difficult Hungarian weekend for the Scuderia, who saw Lewis Hamilton finish in 12th after his astonishing self-deprecating rant following Saturday's qualifying.
Meanwhile, McLaren's intra-team rivalry reached fever pitch during the penultimate circuit.
Piastri launched an audacious inside manoeuvre on Norris, locking his tyres and barely avoiding collision before running wide.
LATEST SPORTS NEWS:
- Lando Norris hails 'perfect result' after beating Oscar Piastri to win Hungarian Grand Prix
- Thomas Partey on the verge of joining new club following Arsenal exit as contract details emerge
- Liverpool now expected to return for Alexander Isak but where does it leave Newcastle?
Oscar Piastri narrowly avoided colliding with teammate Lando Norris during the penultimate lap | GettyThe failed overtaking attempt left the Australian nearly a full second behind, ultimately finishing 0.6 seconds adrift.
Post-race, an evidently drained Norris admitted: "I'm dead. I'm dead. It was tough."
The championship standings underwent a dramatic shift following Norris's audacious single-stop tyre gambit at the Hungaroring.
The McLaren driver's unconventional strategy delivered his fourth victory of the season, crucially reducing his points deficit to merely nine behind Piastri.
"We weren't really planning on the one-stop but after the first lap it was kind of our only option to get back into things," Norris revealed.