Aitken "gutted" over Russell missing out on win
Jack Aitken says he's "gutted" that George Russell missed out on a maiden Formula 1 win last weekend, but does not feel responsible for his role in the events.
Russell had looked on course to take a sensational victory for Mercedes in the Sakhir Grand Prix, after taking the lead at the start and appearing to have everything under
control at the front.
But the race was turned on its head when Aitken, who had taken Russell's place at Williams, spun at the last corner and clouted the barriers – dislodging his front wing.
With the safety car called out, Mercedes made a precautionary pitstop for both Russell and teammate Valtteri Bottas, but it all went wrong when a miscommunication on the radio meant the wrong tyres were fitted to the cars.
That tumbled both Mercedes drivers down the order, before a later puncture robbed Russell of a second hope he had of the win.
Aitken, who is good friends with Russell, said he felt sorry that things had not turned out how they could.
"On the incident and George, I am gutted for George as a colleague and friend," said Aitken. "Obviously it was a huge opportunity for him and that's very unfortunate... but I don't feel responsible in any way for it.
"This is racing, it's what happens. It's a chain reaction. Mercedes obviously made a bit of an error and that's very unfortunate for him, but that's racing and I'm sure I will get my fair share."
Aitken said that his spin with the barriers, which he was able to recover from before finishing 16th, came simply from pushing too hard as he gained confidence in the car.
"I was looking pretty good on pace, we were matching the guys ahead of us and we were just sort of slightly creeping up to them," he said. "I was sort of feeling like there was an opportunity, particularly with some of the retirements on the first couple of laps.
"But then I just pushed it too hard. I just took a little bit of a chance by keeping my foot in on the dust and it bit me pretty hard. So yeah, I'm really sorry to the whole team for that. It's a real, real shame, but I think there's a lot of positives to build on this weekend as well."
Aitken's hopes of racing for Williams in Abu Dhabi will rest on whether or not Mercedes needs Russell again to fill in for Lewis Hamilton.
Related video
Bottas: "Very easy" to criticise my performance against Russell
Wolff: Hamilton, Russell in same team could be "wild ride"
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Driver Ratings
An ill-tempered Saudi Grand Prix made Formula 1 more soap opera than sporting spectacle at times, but there were some strong performances up and down the field on the world championship's first visit to Jeddah
How the Jeddah F1 race became a one-sitting Netflix drama series
The inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was a race packed full of incident as Formula 1 2021's title contenders repeatedly clashed on track. Lewis Hamilton won out over Max Verstappen to level the scores heading into next weekend's Abu Dhabi finale, as Jeddah turned F1 into a drama series
The impressive attitude that earned Albon his second F1 chance
Dropped by Red Bull last season, Alexander Albon has fought back into a Formula 1 seat with Williams. ALEX KALINAUCKAS explains what Albon has done to earn the place soon to be vacated by the highly rated George Russell
The factors that could negate Red Bull's practice gap to Mercedes
Mercedes led the way in practice for Formula 1’s first race in Jeddah, where Red Bull was off the pace on both single-lap and long runs. But, if Max Verstappen can reverse the results on Saturday, factors familiar in motorsport’s main electric single-seater category could be decisive in another close battle with Lewis Hamilton...
Why Norris doesn’t expect Mr Nice Guy praise for much longer
Earning praise from rivals has been a welcome sign that Lando Norris is becoming established among Formula 1's elite. But the McLaren driver is confident that his team's upward curve can put him in the mix to contend for titles in the future, when he's hoping the compliments will be replaced by being deemed an equal adversary
What Ferrari still needs to improve to return to F1 title contention
After a disastrous 2020 in which it slumped to sixth in the F1 constructors' standings, Ferrari has rebounded strongly and is on course to finish third - despite regulations that forced it to carryover much of its forgettable SF1000 machine. Yet while it can be pleased with its improvement, there are still steps it must make if 2022 is to yield a return to winning ways
How F1 teams and personnel react in pressurised situations
OPINION: The pressure is firmly on Red Bull and Mercedes as Formula 1 2021 embarks on its final double-header. How the respective teams deal with that will be a crucial factor in deciding the outcome of the drivers' and constructors' championships, as Motorsport.com's technical consultant and ex-McLaren F1 engineer Tim Wright explains.
How getting sacked from Benetton made Mercedes' Allison
He’s had a hand in world championship-winning Formula 1 cars for Benetton, Renault and Mercedes, and was also a cog in the Schumacher-Ferrari axis. Having recently ‘moved upstairs’ as Mercedes chief technical officer, James Allison tells Stuart Codling about his career path and why being axed by Benetton was one of the best things that ever happened to him.