The qualifying session at the Hungarian Grand Prix left mixed feelings within the Mercedes camp, with George Russell managing to place his W16 in fourth position, just a few thousandths of a second off pole position, while rookie Kimi Antonelli was eliminated in Q2 despite promising signs. Both drivers spoke openly about the current situation of the Brackley-based team and the decision to revert to the previous rear suspension design.
George Russell: “Let’s not be fooled, McLaren underperformed and the weekend hasn’t gone well so far”
George Russell described Q3 as a “chaotic” session, highlighting how all drivers lost time compared to their Q2 laps. “We were a tenth slower, Leclerc was two tenths off, Alonso the same, and McLaren lost six tenths. So I’m not fooled by this performance,” said the British driver, fully aware that the rest of the weekend has been difficult. George Russell also commented on his teammate’s performance: “Kimi was eliminated in Q2, so it’s clear there’s still work to do.” The Englishman expressed dissatisfaction because he believes McLaren’s underperformance somewhat masks the true performance gap. “They were giving four tenths to Charles and seven tenths to everyone else. Fourth place is a normal position for us today, but let’s not forget these details.”
Russell then pinpointed Turn 14 as the crucial point where he lost a chance to fight for pole position: “There I lost three tenths. The wind had changed, becoming stronger. I should have reacted knowing there would be less downforce. But this applies to everyone: everyone has an excuse when they’re not on pole.” The discussion then shifted to the controversial rear suspension, where Mercedes made a step backward for this race. “It takes time to understand if an upgrade works. At Imola and Barcelona it was hot, and we thought that was the problem. But at Spa it was cooler and the performance was still not good. We realized the suspension isn’t actually an upgrade.”
Kimi Antonelli: “It’s a shame we didn’t change the suspension earlier. Eliminated because I had no grip”
On the other side of the garage, Kimi Antonelli expressed disappointment about his qualifying outcome, convinced there was much more potential in the car to be unlocked for a better result. However, the young Italian acknowledged progress throughout the weekend, stating that the feeling and situation were completely different compared to recent races. “The confidence was there, as seen on my first lap in Q1. Even the first lap in Q2 was good, despite the wet conditions. But on the new Soft tires, I had no grip. I lost the rear in Turn 1, which is a shame.” According to the rookie, that mistake cost him two tenths, and then another two tenths at Turn 13. “It was a lap with a horrible feeling.”
Despite the setback, Antonelli highlighted improvements from switching back to the old suspension: “We had a team meeting and saw that both George and I had more confidence with the previous suspension. It was a team decision,” he said after qualifying, adding that perhaps the change came too late. “It’s a pity we didn’t revert to the old suspension earlier, because now I feel much better and have more confidence. I think today we could have achieved a better result.” His early exit in Q2 prevented him from fully exploiting the potential he felt in the car, also mentioning that the track was gaining more grip as temperatures dropped.
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