With his voice trembling, his throat tightening, his eyes wide open, watery and red, on the brink of tears at any moment, in a state of bewilderment, George Russell endeavoured to articulate his profound disappointment to the media following his crash during the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix. For Russell, it came down to the last lap, a four-car battle separated by less than a second. Russell had the advantage of fresher tyres than Norris and Sainz ahead of him.

Glory beckoned if he could battle past the McLaren and Ferrari, but time was running out. In his haste, misfortune struck when his front right wheel grazed the armco, instantly causing his suspension to crumble and sending the Mercedes driver careening into the tire barrier. As Russell stared into the tyre barrier, glory must have never looked so grim.

Was it misfortune? Evidently, Russell bore responsibility for the incident—a momentary lapse in concentration, possibly influenced by thoughts of Lewis Hamilton lurking behind him. Misfortune or not, Russell clearly made a driver error. The error was small, but the consequences were huge because it was made under pressure and in the heat of the battle. That is why Russell was so deeply distraught.

Mistakes happen, Formula One is a sport that thrives on the edge of performance and the best drivers will drive to the limit and beyond. Invetibaly driving at the limit will lead to mistakes, but the very best will make the fewest errors and they will be rewarded with victories and podium trophies. Clearly, Russell is world-champion material, but sometimes speed and experience is not enough.

For George Russell winning is easy, driving is hard, a paradoxical statement, yet undeniably accurate.