David Coulthard issues apology to four-pole F1 driver after ‘brilliant’ Las Vegas Grand Prix

Max Verstappen may have secured his fourth consecutive world championship at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, but another driver caught the attention of many with his standout drive.

With the main focus being on the battle between Verstappen and Lando Norris for the title, Mercedes came seemingly out of nowhere in Las Vegas as they displayed blistering pace throughout the weekend.

It has been a frustrating season for the Silver Arrows, as the inconsistent nature of the W15 has left the team guaranteed to finish fourth in the Constructors’ Championship, miles behind the top three.

But the Brackley-based team have had moments of brilliance in 2024, with the Las Vegas Grand Prix being the best example of that. Mercedes’ speed was immediate around the street circuit as they topped every practice session – with Lewis Hamilton going fastest in FP1 and FP2 on Friday.

But the 39-year-old could not capitalise on their new-found advantage on Saturday as he could only manage 10th in qualifying. Rachel Brookes noted that qualifying is ‘really hurting’ Hamilton this season as he trails teammate George Russell by a comprehensive 16-6.

The fellow Brit grabbed his 16th win over Hamilton in qualifying by securing the fourth pole position of his career in Las Vegas over the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz.

David Coulthard apologises to George Russell after doubting he would win in Las Vegas

Despite an early challenge from a charging Charles Leclerc, Russell had full control of the race and he converted his pole to victory – his second of the season and Mercedes’ fourth of 2024.

Teammate Hamilton also drove a solid race as he climbed through the field to finish second, marking the Silver Arrows’ first one-two finish since Russell’s maiden F1 win at the 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Mercedes’ package at Las Vegas took many by surprise, including David Coulthard, who speaking on the Drive to Wynn Podcast, issued an apology to Russell as he did not think the Brit could beat the Ferrari of Sainz for the win.

“I just felt that, given everything we’ve seen in the previous Grand Prix, even though McLaren were out of place, relatively speaking in qualifying, somehow I just thought their race pace would materialise in the same way that I thought Ferrari would have the race pace,” he said.

“So I had it pegged as Carlos Sainz, George Russell, Charles Leclerc was my top three. I’m sorry George, you were brilliant, and I’ll never doubt you again. He just owned it.”

George Russell named F1’s most underrated driver by many in the paddock after Las Vegas win

Martin Brundle felt sorry for Russell after winning in Las Vegas as he took victory the same day Verstappen became a four-time world champion, which took most of the attention away from the Brit.

But his performance did not go completely unnoticed, as many people in the paddock labelled Russell as F1’s most underrated driver as he grabbed the third win of his career.

Russell’s performances this season are without a doubt going unrecognised. The 26-year-old has beaten seven-time champion and teammate Hamilton rather convincingly, not just in qualifying but in the races as he leads that battle 14-8.

Unfortunately for the Brit, as Hamilton leaves Mercedes for Ferrari next year and gives Russell the role of team leader, the attention may still not be on him in 2025. The arrival of Kimi Antonelli may cause ‘unrest’ at Mercedes as the Italian sensation may be seen as sealing Russell’s thunder as Mercedes’ number one driver.