Russell and Hamilton Reflect on Mixed Outcomes in Austin Sprint Qualifying

George Russell expressed satisfaction with his performance in the Sprint Qualifying at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, despite narrowly missing out on pole position to Red Bull‘s Max Verstappen by a mere 0.012 seconds. The Mercedes driver noted significant improvements in his car’s handling, following a challenging practice session earlier in the day.

Both Russell and his teammate, Lewis Hamilton, successfully advanced to SQ3, the final qualifying session, with Russell securing a second-place start for Saturday’s Sprint race. Reflecting on the team’s turnaround, Russell stated, “It was definitely a handful [in FP1], but I think we managed to get on top of it. We knew we had potential in the car because I don’t think we made the most of our quick laps this morning.”

Russell continued to highlight the effectiveness of recent upgrades, commenting, “The car’s been feeling really great so far with these upgrades. It’s clearly close out there, but definitely surprised ourselves a little bit with that P2.”

In contrast, Lewis Hamilton faced challenges during the same session. His quick lap was impeded by Williams‘ driver Franco Colapinto spinning and causing a temporary yellow flag, leading to a cautious slow-down. Despite starting back in the pack, Hamilton acknowledged the strides made by their team to improve the car’s performance.

Hamilton remarked, “The upgrade has clearly worked and I’m really grateful to everyone back at the factory for all their hard work over this period of time because it’s been a tough slog for everyone to get the upgrades and make sure that they’re working.” He noted the distinct difference in the car’s behavior after adjustments, “As soon as I got out, the car was like night and day different so it was great work from the guys in the garage.”

During the subsequent Sprint Race, both Mercedes drivers faced performance difficulties, with Hamilton finishing in sixth place and Russell in fifth. Despite initially fighting strong battles and overtaking competitors such as Lando Norris and later being overtaken by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, the Mercedes duo struggled with tire degradation.

Russell reflected, “Yeah, I was really surprised, to be honest. I felt really strong Laps 2-6 and I was fighting with Lando – probably should have passed him when I had the opportunity.” He expressed concern about the sudden change in tire performance, “Suddenly the next lap my tyres were totally gone, the Ferraris passed me like I was stood still.”

As Mercedes continues to analyze their performance and adjustments, both drivers remain hopeful for upcoming sessions, crediting the team’s diligent work on car upgrades. The dynamics at the Circuit of the Americas have presented both challenges and opportunities, which Mercedes aims to leverage in their favor for the remainder of the weekend’s racing events.