Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, and George Russell share their honest opinion on the controversial moment when the recovery truck was on track
Australian Grand Prix podium-sitters Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, and George Russell gave their honest opinion about the controversial movement when the recovery truck was on track during the race. The race at the iconic Albert Park Circuit was full of twists and stoppages caused by several drivers going into the barriers in the tricky conditions on Sunday.
The season opener had multiple drivers crashing in the wet conditions and bringing out safety cars four times throughout the 58 laps. However, in the middle phase of the race, when Aston Martin F1 driver Fernando Alonso crashed, a scary situation occurred that saw F1 cars running alongside the recovery truck on the track.
The moment left certain fans and pundits uneasy, given the controversial nature and previous experiences when an F1 car had an accident with the recovery vehicle on the track. When the three podium-sitters were asked about their feelings on the matter in the post-race press conference, race winner Lando Norris said:
"I was comfortable."
Max Verstappen, in his straightforward fashion, responded:
"Yeah, I thought it was fine. I mean, if you crash behind the safety car, you're really stupid."
Norris replied:
"You shouldn't be in Formula 1 then."
George Russell, who finished P3, agreed with his peers and concluded:
"Yeah, I think it was fine."
Mercedes driver George Russell has previously been outspoken about several issues related to the safety of the drivers and currently serves as the Director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association.
George Russell analyzes his podium finish in Melbourne
Mercedes driver George Russell stated that he just stayed out of trouble in a chaotic Australian Grand Prix but many drivers struggled to keep their cars on the track.
In the post-race press conference, the 27-year-old reflected on his performance and said:
"Yeah, I think just staying out of trouble, to be honest. It was pretty clear from the beginning that these guys were too quick for us, and we were quicker than Ferrari. So, I was kind of in no man's land. I made a decision quite early on that the best way to approach this race was just to bring it home.
"If I risked it more, there was no extra reward on the table because they were just so far ahead. Very difficult. But pleased to come home with this result because I don't think this is probably our strongest circuit. Especially after yesterday with the hot temperatures, I was also very happy with the P4 in quali."
George Russell finished P3 in the 2022 edition of the Australian GP and benefitted from the misfortunes of Max Verstappen while finishing ahead of his ex-teammate Lewis Hamilton.