Despite a seventh-place qualifying position, George Russell remains optimistic for a better performance in the Australian GP, citing confidence in a fuel-heavier Mercedes.
George Russell qualified seventh for the Australian Grand Prix. The Mercedes F1 driver acknowledges that the result was not what he had hoped for, but he expects to feel more comfortable in the race with a car that is heavier with fuel.
“It wasn’t the qualifying we had hoped for, but it’s incredibly tight,” Russell stated. “Tomorrow, there will be a lot of unknowns with the hard tire that nobody has yet used. I think we’re going to see a more exciting race than usual.”
“From my side, I feel a bit more confidence and consistency with the car. We know we need to improve in the high-speed corners, and this circuit has a number of them.”
“I think we’ll be in a much better position tomorrow when we have more fuel in the car and the pace is a bit slower for everyone. But this circuit doesn’t play to our strengths.”
While he feels differently than his teammate, Russell doesn’t dwell on it: “I’m focusing on myself and my team and trying to make the most of it. I can’t really comment on Lewis’s feelings. Ultimately, we’re not quite where we want to be.
“We had a good qualifying in Bahrain with third place. Without the issues we faced in the race, we could have been fighting for the podium, and we were fifth in Jeddah. Seventh place isn’t ideal, but there’s a lot to play for tomorrow.”
The Mercedes W15 is “inconsistent”
Lewis Hamilton made a mistake on his final lap of Q2, and the seven-time world champion was eliminated before Q3. He admits to being lost with his W15, which he says is “messing with his mind.”
“I was feeling good in FP3,” Hamilton reveals. “It was strange because we were right there with these guys, and we didn’t really understand why. But then, in qualifying, it’s once again an inconsistency with the car, it’s really messing with the mind.”
“George did a good job today. That’s how it is. I just have to try and do better tomorrow. I think our car is a bit on the edge. In the afternoon, the wind picked up, like in FP2.”
“And when the wind picks up, the car becomes much more unstable. And then this morning, it was fine with a calmer wind, but as soon as the wind picks up, the car becomes a bit less stable. But the other teams stepped up their pace during qualifying.”
“I’m not sure why, but the grid wasn’t the same in qualifying. Even though we had less fuel, we felt better in FP3. So it’s not a great feeling for anyone on the team, but we’re going to keep working.”
Russell Aims High in Aussie GP with Fuel-Heavy Car. Russell Aims High in Aussie GP with Fuel-Heavy Car
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