Mercedes' DHL Fastest Pit Stop saves George Russell's race

George Russell arrived at his home race in Silverstone riding high after his victory in Austria. But unlike his teammate Kimi Antonelli, he was unable to find his rhythm all weekend - until the main race on Sunday when he was locked in a fierce battle for the final podium spot.

First, Max Verstappen's Red Bull passed him, then he had to hold his own in a wheel-to-wheel battle against Lewis Hamilton. The three-way contest came to an end when a slow puncture forced Russell to make an unscheduled pit stop on lap 34. The Mercedes crew sent him on his way in a lightning-fast 2.18 seconds, thereby earning the DHL Fastest Pit Stop at Silverstone.

That should have stymied Russell's bid for the podium, but luck was on his side this weekend. With the retirements of Verstappen and Antonelli ahead of him, he moved up to third place. Then Ferrari decided to bring Hamilton in for a pit stop during the late safety car deployment, allowing Russell to gain another position. The race was not restarted, and the Mercedes driver made his first podium appearance in his native country with a P2 finish.

As second-place driver in the world championship, Russell was able to reduce his deficit to Antonelli to 25 points: "I'm really pleased to be standing here, even though it was a very unlucky race. I had the puncture, then got lucky at the end with the safety car. It was a tough weekend, but I'm going to keep pushing. It's game on."