F1
George Russell Surprised by 0.3s Gap to Verstappen in F1 Austrian GP Sprint Qualifying
George Russell admits he may have pushed too hard and is taken aback by the 0.3-second difference to Max Verstappen. He commented that the soft tires performed excellently and that his lap felt solid, making the time gap unexpected.
George Russell was taken aback by being 0.3 seconds slower than Max Verstappen during the sprint qualifying session for the Austrian Grand Prix in Formula 1.
Russell secured fourth place in qualifying, trailing Verstappen by almost three-tenths of a second in the battle for pole position.
Mercedes demonstrated impressive speed during practice and the initial rounds of qualifying, but their bid for pole position ultimately dwindled.
Nevertheless, Mercedes' recent improvement in performance persists, as they appear to have gained an advantage over Ferrari once more.
Looking back on the qualifying session at the Red Bull Ring, Russell mentioned, "To be honest, the soft tires performed exceptionally well. My lap felt very solid. I'm surprised by the time difference."
Russell attributed the gap to Verstappen to his out-lap and the manner in which he readied the tyres for his last attempt in SQ3.
"I pushed too hard during my warm-up lap," he mentioned. "It wore out my tires excessively on that lap."
"It lost its optimal traction. That's the only reason I can think of right now."
“The lap was solid and turned out to be the best one of the session. It was a bit of a setback, but starting from P4 is still a very good position for tomorrow.”
Russell is aiming for a top-three finish in the Saturday sprint race, suggesting that Mercedes is "likely" positioned ahead of Ferrari at this point.
Evaluating his prospects in the upcoming sprint, Russell commented, “Without a doubt, aiming for a podium finish in the sprint.”
“Focusing on the primary race is crucial. It confirms once more that we are competitive now. We are likely a little ahead of Ferrari at the moment. McLaren still appears to be slightly in front. It feels good to be consistently near the top.”
Mercedes chief Toto Wolff admitted that he believed his drivers would contend for the top qualifying position.
"The weekend has been positive overall. Our performance in the first practice session was strong. However, the sprint qualifying didn't go as planned," Wolff stated. "It's evident that our expectations have shifted."
"We believed we had a chance to compete for the pole position, but Verstappen's speed was far superior."
As they have done previously, the McLarens managed to deliver an impressive lap.
Wolff believes that Mercedes can apply the insights gained from the sprint race to traditional qualifying sessions, potentially narrowing the gap to Verstappen.
"The sprint is challenging to assess. The hierarchy established during qualifying likely reflects the order for the race as well," he stated.
"We are constantly improving our understanding. Qualifying presents a unique challenge. We might be able to get closer to Verstappen in the upcoming session. Securing a spot in the front row would be an excellent outcome. The competition is still wide open."
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