Coulthard sees Russell grow but: 'Not the complete finished article yet'

George Russell still managed to drive to the podium from 12th position at the Spanish Grand Prix. A great result for a driver who last season gave Mercedes its only win of the year and also finished above Lewis Hamilton in the final standings. However, it was not the perfect weekend for the Briton, as he made a serious mistake during qualifying.

On Saturday afternoon, Russell and Hamilton hit each other, triggering Russell's elimination in Q2. Of course, the way he worked his way to the front of the field a day later was admirable. But the mistake - which could easily have ended in a big crash - makes analyst and former F1 driver David Coulthard think Russell still has a lot to learn. "George has still got a little chink in his armour. That late movement in qualifying where they had contact, if you remember he’s had some little drop the ball moments," Coulthard told Channel 4.

Mercedes to second place

While contemporary Max Verstappen is already a two-time world champion and can hardly be faulted, Russell is still developing as a driver, Coulthard opined. "He’s not the complete finished article yet. He’s pretty close."

Hamilton took second place in Barcelona. With two men on the podium, Mercedes captured more important points in the constructors' title standings. Although Red Bull Racing is far out of the picture, Mercedes did jump over Aston Martin to second in the standings in Spain. The updates recently introduced by the team did not miss their effect, at least on the Catalan circuit.