Russell: No points wouldn't make 2021 F1 season a failure
George Russell says that if Williams was to finish the 2021 Formula 1 season without scoring a point, then such a result would not make its campaign a failure.


Williams has not scored a point since the 2019 German Grand Prix, where it only ended up 10th with Robert Kubica after the Alfa Romeo cars were given post-race time addition penalties for clutch setting offences detected during the race start.
That year marked the lowest ebb of Williams' slide to the very back of the F1 pecking order but, although it has improved its car performance relative to the rest of the field in 2020 and particularly in 2021, it remains without a top 10 finish since that Hockenheim race.
The team is currently 10th in this year's constructors' standings after slipping behind Haas for the first time as a result of its difficult end to the recent Azerbaijan GP.
Last year, Russell was in contention for points at Mugello before dropping back at the final standing start and he crashed during the safety car period while running 10th in the closing stages at Imola, while in the 2021 Emilia Romagna GP he lost the 10th place he held before his crash while contesting P9 with Valtteri Bottas.
When asked if so far not scoring a point for Williams bothered him, Russell – who finished ninth at the 2020 Sakhir GP he nearly won in a one-off appearance in place of Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes – outlined his belief of why such a scenario would not be so bad for his current squad, even if it ends a second consecutive season with zero points.
Read Also:
"It doesn't bother me, no, but it's certainly a goal," Russell told Autosport magazine in an exclusive interview. "That is the target. If we end this season point-less - I would not have seen this season as a failure.
"If we end the season with some points, I think it would have been a great success. Points for us is, effectively, a win for McLaren, [with] sort of the deltas.
"If McLaren go this whole season without winning a race, we're not gonna see that as a failure.
"If they do have a victory, that would have been a massive success. And that's a really good way to look at it.
"For us, psychologically, we've got to recognise that if we've done absolutely everything, if we've had a fantastic weekend and came home 13th, we need to recognise that and not be downbeat that we didn't get points.
"Because 13th may have been the absolute maximum we did."
Related video

Mazepin clarifies rumours about Russian military service
Horner: Perez "ahead of expectation", but no rush for new deal

Latest news
Team 18's coin toss chassis allocation
Supercars squad Team 18 used a combination of a coin toss and a ping pong ball lottery to allocate its new chassis to drivers Scott Pye and Mark Winterbottom.
BRT not fazed by Ford aero questions
Blanchard Racing Team isn't fazed about the unresolved Ford aero package ahead of its maiden Gen3 Supercars test at Winton tomorrow.
Australian GP releases more race day tickets
The Australian Grand Prix Corporation has announced a final limited release of race day tickets.
Tickford unveils first 2023 livery
Tickford Racing has unveiled its first livery ahead of the 2023 season with the covers coming off Brad Vaughan's Super2 entry.
Who were the fastest drivers in F1 2022?
Who was the fastest driver in 2022? Everyone has an opinion, but what does the stopwatch say? Obviously, differing car performance has an effect on ultimate laptime – but it’s the relative speed of each car/driver package that’s fascinating and enlightening says ALEX KALINAUCKAS
Nico Hulkenberg: Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return
He has more starts without a podium than anyone else in Formula 1 world championship history, but Nico Hulkenberg is back for one more shot with Haas. After spending three years on the sidelines, the revitalised German is aiming to prove to his new team what the F1 grid has been missing.
Why Vasseur relishes 'feeling the pressure' as Ferrari's F1 boss
OPINION: Fred Vasseur has spent only a few weeks as team principal for the Ferrari Formula 1 team, but is already intent on taking the Scuderia back to the very top. And despite it being arguably the most demanding job in motorsport, the Frenchman is relishing the challenge
The crucial tech changes F1 teams must adapt to in 2023
Changes to the regulations for season two of Formula 1's ground-effects era aim to smooth out last year’s troubles and shut down loopholes. But what areas have been targeted, and what impact will this have?
Are these the 50 quickest drivers in F1 history?
Who are the quickest drivers in Formula 1 history? Luke Smith asked a jury of experienced and international panel of experts and F1 insiders. Some of them have worked closely with F1’s fastest-ever drivers – so who better to vote on our all-time top 50? We’re talking all-out speed here rather than size of trophy cabinet, so the results may surprise you…
One easy way the FIA could instantly improve F1
OPINION: During what is traditionally a very quiet time of year in the Formula 1 news cycle, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been generating headlines. He’s been commenting on massive topics in a championship that loves them, but also addressing necessary smaller changes too. Here we suggest a further refinement that would be a big boon to fans
How can McLaren keep hold of Norris?
Lando Norris is no longer the young cheeky-chappy at McLaren; he’s now the established ace. And F1's big guns will come calling if the team can’t give him a competitive car. Here's what the team needs to do to retain its prize asset
What difference did F1's fastest pitstops of 2022 make?
While a quick pitstop can make all the difference to the outcome of a Formula 1 race, most team managers say consistency is more important than pure speed. MATT KEW analyses the fastest pitstops from last season to see which ones – if any – made a genuine impact
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.