George Russell delivered a shock in qualifying, mastering tyre woes late to split the McLarens in an intense final-lap charge.
Mercedes driver George Russell pulled off a shock result in qualifying, splitting the two McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris to secure second on the grid — a result even he didn’t see coming.
“That was honestly incredible,” Russell said after the session. “It was one of the toughest qualifyings I’ve had in a long time. I was struggling with tyre prep — nothing was working. But somehow, everything came together on that final lap.”
Russell admitted the team took a bit of a gamble: “I tried different approaches — fast out-lap, slow out-lap — and in the end, we just rolled the dice. Luckily, it paid off. That lap got me right in between the McLarens, and now I can’t wait for the race.”
After finishing fourth in the Sprint, Russell is hoping that starting further up in Sunday’s Grand Prix will help him manage tyre wear — something that proved tricky earlier in the weekend.
“It’s going to be tough,” he said. “The medium tyres were hard to handle in the Sprint, and no one really knows how the hard tyres will perform. We’re still unsure if it’s going to be a one-stop or two-stop race. McLaren will be quick, no doubt, but the goal is to stay ahead of them.”
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Russell stuns McLaren with P2 in brutal quali battle
Russell stuns McLaren with P2 in brutal quali battle
