Because Russell’s second place is a test of strength
Being beaten by your teammate is never a source of great happiness, but the second place in qualifying behind Andrea Kimi Antonelli was welcomed kindly by George Russell. The English Mercedes driver, after taking pole and victory in the Sprint, had more than one problem during qualifying which risked making Sunday’s race complicated for him.
First the damage to the front wing in Q2, then a technical problem which saw him stop on the track and then manage to restart the car on the third attempt. And finally the lap, the only one, in Q3 done in the very last moments, which still gave him the start from the front row of the grid.
Russell explains the troubles he had in qualifying
“I limited the damage. In Q2 my front wing broke, then in Q3 we went out but I stopped on the track. The car wouldn’t start, I couldn’t shift gears. And at the start of the last lap I had no battery, no tires at temperature, no nothing… The team did a great job getting me into this position, because it could have been much worse and therefore I am happy. I risked having to start tenth and I expected to be further back.”
