Russell finished third, with Verstappen taking the win despite starting 10th. The seven-time F1 world champion says that although Sunday’s cooler conditions helped the team secure their second straight double podium, it could have won if not for his racing on Saturday. Speaking after the match, he said: “I definitely think because he was a bit more chilled out, it seemed to work a bit better for us. I can’t tell you exactly why, but I’m grateful for it. “I was hoping it would rain at the end to challenge Max, but we ran out of laps. “Well, a bit better qualifying, if the DRS had been OK yesterday, we’d have been in the running for the win. “But either way, two seconds in a row, I’m really, really happy. So huge thanks to the fans for all the amazing support.” Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W13 Photo: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images Hamilton is now sixth in the drivers’ standings, just 10 points behind Carlos Sainz, while Mercedes are just 30 points behind Ferrari. Hamilton says he doesn’t know where the team’s speed came from on Sunday, but added: “I was definitely struggling at the start of the race and I wasn’t sure if I could catch the guys. “But slowly I got a bit more comfortable with the balance, I also had a really good start. “I really want to acknowledge my team for continuing to push, never giving up in this tough year we’ve had so far. “For us to be on the podium, to have both cars on the podium twice is very special for us. And really unlucky for George today. The other guys still have a bit of an advantage. “But we are clearly closing the gap. And that’s just an amazing way to go into the break knowing that we got that performance. “Hopefully we’ll bring more in the second part of the season and start fighting with the guys up front.” Read also:
