Russell shines with a strong second-place finish in Qatar Sprint Qualifying, while Hamilton admits he’s “just too slow” for a better result.
George Russell secured second place in Sprint Qualifying in Qatar, with Mercedes F1 continuing their strong form from Las Vegas, much to the delight of the most recent F1 race winner.
“I was strong throughout the session. The car is excellent on this circuit. It’s one of the best tracks when you get into the rhythm. It’s very fast,” Russell said.
“I went flat out in the high-speed sector for the first time in my last lap in Q3, and I upset the engine a bit. I lost, I don’t know how much, but I had a huge surge on exit because I went flat through the corner.”
“It was too technical! But it was a bit frustrating because I managed to make it through, but then lost a lot of speed on the exit. I think Lando was just out of reach for pole.”
“Tomorrow, for the Sprint, McLaren will be in a big fight for the championship. But we have nothing to lose. We’re aiming for strong results.”
“We’ll try to get a good start. The Sprint is just the Sprint. We also need to focus on qualifying.”
Only 7th, a few tenths behind his teammate, Lewis Hamilton remained in a frustrated mood.
“It was like every other qualifying, not great. I’m just slow. Who knows if it’s me? I’m definitely not fast. It’s the same every weekend. The car was relatively good. No issues. Not much else to add.”
“The long run wasn’t too bad in Free Practice. But when you have to fight your way forward like I do, it’s almost impossible to fight for the win. But it’s the Sprint. I’ll do what I can tomorrow.”
Any positives to take away?
“Not particularly. The positive is that the car is fast, and George should be able to aim for pole tomorrow.”
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Russell Thrives, Hamilton Struggles in Qatar Sprint Qualifying Russell Thrives, Hamilton Struggles in Qatar Sprint Qualifying
