George Russell has weighed in on the tense moment between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen during the Japanese Grand Prix, claiming the McLaren driver made a “big mistake” that might have cost him the race win.
The incident occurred during a crucial phase of the race when both drivers exited the pit lane side-by-side after their mid-race pit stops. McLaren had completed a faster stop than Red Bull, giving Norris the upper hand momentarily. However, as Norris attempted to squeeze past Verstappen at the pit exit, he ran out of space, went onto the grass, and lost valuable seconds.
Drama beim Boxenstopp: Norris wäre fast an Verstappen vorbeigegangen. #JapanGP #F12025 #F1 #Formel1 pic.twitter.com/SoYdXCnVF1
— Christian Nimmervoll (@MST_ChristianN) April 6, 2025
While Verstappen went on to claim his first win of the season, Norris had to settle for second – and according to Mercedes driver George Russell, that outcome could’ve been different had Norris made a smarter decision in the heat of the moment.
“That was a big mistake from Lando, to try and force it there,” Russell told reporters after the race. “He had the pace, he had the better pit stop, and I think if he had just slotted in behind Max instead of going onto the grass, he would’ve had a much better shot at overtaking later on.”
Russell, who currently sits on 45 points after a strong start to the season with Mercedes, added that the McLaren is clearly one of the strongest cars on the grid right now and that Norris needs to play the long game.
“The McLaren is probably the best overall package right now,” Russell continued. “When you have that kind of car, it’s about choosing your moments wisely. Lando had the speed. He just didn’t need to risk it there.”
Norris himself reflected on the incident post-race, admitting that perhaps the undercut strategy or a more conservative approach could have yielded a better result: “I probably should have tried to undercut,” he said. “But it just wasn’t today. Things we’ll talk about.”
With the Bahrain Grand Prix coming up next, Russell expects the fight between Red Bull and McLaren – with Verstappen and Norris at the center – to continue heating up: “It’s going to be close every weekend now,” he said. “But small decisions like that can make a huge difference.”