Top 10 scores in Hungary, Belgium, Italy and Ru🌳ssia have helped Williams hold a firm grip over eighth place in the constructors’ championship, boasting a fairly comfortable 16-point buffer to its nearest rival Alfa Romeo. 

Williams looks in a strong position to retain P8 with just five races remaining this season and Russe𝓰ll has been taki🦩ng advantage of the points gap by experimenting with an attacking approach in recent events. 

It paid dividends on the opening lap of last weekend’s United States Grand Prix, as Russell made up six positions at the start despite ultimately lacking the pa⭕ce to fight for points. 

“I think the pressure’s been lifted of✅f my shoulders for a while now for these first laps and I’m more confident to really attack it and go for it,” Russell explained. “P20 to P14 wasও a strong start [in Austin].

“In this position now where we are in this championship we’ve got this small buffer that’s allowing me to go out there and 𒉰r෴eally push the limits and I’m quite enjoying it to be honest.

“I’m not aไ driver who usually makes a𒀰 huge amount of mistakes, but I’ve wanted to push myself and that’s why we saw an off in FP3, we saw a little off in qualifying at Zandvoort.”

After enjoying little reward for his efforts and mꦛaking some uncharacteristic errors along the way, Russell believes his usual, more calculated style is best. 

“I’m just trying to really push the limit💯 just to see if there is more in there in these last few races,” the Brito൲n said. 

“But I think I’ve been sort of reaffirmingཧ my global strategy of ‘you don’t need t🧜o be driving at 100% to get the most out of the car’ as sometimes you only go slower.”

Russell says the freedom ඣto push and ex♏plore the limits without fear of making mistakes has partly come from having his future sorted, with a switch to Mercedes on the cards for 2022. 

“It’s just less ♔pressure,” he said. “I think just the fact we are in a position of relative comfort in the constructors’ championship. 

“And also on a personal leve🧔l, with everything confirmed for next year, I’m in a very stable position personally and just able to go out there and try new things and don’t be afraid to make some mistakes.

💯“It’s a similar position to one I found myself in 2019 when I could go out there and just try new thiꦦngs and keep trying to build that toolbox to improve,” he added. 

“Being in that position wher𒀰e I’m not scared to make mistakes is a s🌺atisfying position.”