In the Qatar GP qualifying, George Russell claimed second place, marking the fourth time he will start from the front row this season. The Mercedes driver finds himself between the four-time world champion on pole and Lando Norris in third.
The pace of the W15 was already impressive during the last race in Las Vegas. Today, Mercedes once again demonstrated excellent speed in both qualifying and the Sprint Race.
Toward the end of qualifying, Russell briefly went off into the gravel while avoiding contact with Max Verstappen two corners before the start of his final flying lap. Since Max Verstappen was on a cool-down lap, no penalties were issued, but Russell speculated that the incident might have prevented him from improving his time.
George Russell on his Second Place in Qatar GP Qualifying
George Russell expressed satisfaction with his second-place result but admitted some frustration at not being able to secure pole position. The Briton said: “Yes, I’m on a great streak in qualifying. I’ve been on the front row in the last four sessions, something I could only dream of a few races ago.”
“I feel like I’m in a great rhythm,” he added. “My first lap was one of the best I’ve ever done. For some reason, I couldn’t find that extra bit in the final lap, and Max [Verstappen] snatched it away in the end.
But I’m focusing on the positives. The car has been fantastic over the last two weekends, and we need to enjoy this while we can.”
Regarding the near-miss with Max Verstappen before his last flying lap, Russell said: “[Is there something to review from the end?] Well, you tell me, you’re the expert [Jolyon Palmer]. In the end, I went into the gravel.”
“The floor scraped the curb as I went into the gravel. I hope I didn’t damage it. Maybe that’s why my time didn’t improve. It’s a tricky situation, two corners before starting the lap,” he explained.
George Russell on Mercedes’ Recent Momentum
In Brazil, Russell delivered a strong race, followed by a win in Las Vegas, with Mercedes consistently performing at the front. Reflecting on the team’s positive momentum, Russell said: “Yes, we’ve had some very positive races recently. In Brazil, the wet qualifying conditions worked in our favor. At Las Vegas, we showed our true pace. And this weekend, once again, you can see our genuine speed.
We’re all very close, though. Still, it’s great to be back fighting for the top positions.”
During the Sprint Race, Russell had a thrilling battle with Oscar Piastri from start to finish. Tomorrow, he will face the four-time world champion Max Verstappen ahead of him. Russell expressed excitement for the challenge and hopes for an exciting race.
“Yes, I’m excited. Let’s hope for a good race, free from team orders. It’s great to see Max [Verstappen] in the mix too. I was genuinely surprised by how they turned things around since they seemed far off both yesterday and this morning. But they got both cars into Q3, and Max even took pole position. Hopefully, we’re in for a great race,” he concluded.
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