George Russell 'Unexpected' Third in F1 Qualifying

Russell Surprised by Third Place, Cites McLaren’s Pace

31/08/2024

Russell clinches third, admits Mercedes is trailing McLaren stars Norris and Piastri in pace.

George Russell secured the third-fastest time in the qualifying round for the Italian Grand Prix, a result that left the Mercedes F1 driver somewhat incredulous after facing challenges during the initial segments of the session at Monza. He concedes that Mercedes still lags behind McLaren but is pleased to be closing the gap.

“It was good. Finishing third was a bit unexpected because Q1 and Q2 were tough, and we managed to bounce back. We’re not far off the McLarens, but they are incredibly fast at the moment. We’re working hard to catch up, but I’m satisfied,” Russell remarked.

Following his victory at Spa—later overshadowed by a disqualification due to his car being underweight—Russell jokes about his preparations for tomorrow, praising Formula 1 for achieving such a tightly contested field at the top.

“The competition is fiercely tight, everyone is so close together. I’m excited for F1; this is what we all anticipated. If you do a good job, you stand a chance to win, and I’m geared up for tomorrow. I’ll be having pizza tonight so I’m not too light tomorrow! And I’m hopeful we’ll be fighting for a strong result.”

George Russell: ‘Unexpected’ Third in F1 Qualifying George Russell: ‘Unexpected’ Third in F1 Qualifying

F1 Standings 2025
F1 Standings 2025
#
Driver
Points
1
Driver Flag
Max Verstappen
Red Bull
0
2
Driver Flag
Lando Norris
McLaren
0
3
Driver Flag
Charles Leclerc
Ferrari
0
4
Driver Flag
Oscar Piastri
McLaren
0
5
Driver Flag
Carlos Sainz
Williams
0
6
Driver Flag
George Russell
Mercedes
0
#
Team
Points
1
McLaren
Norris & Piastri
0
2
Ferrari
Leclerc & Hamilton
0
3
Red Bull
Verstappen & Lawson
0
4
Mercedes
Russell & Antonelli
0
5
Aston Martin
Alonso & Stroll
0
6
Alpine
Gasly & Doohan
0
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