Russell praises Mercedes for choosing the right tyre for Q3
Although Mercedes driver George Russell looked to struggle for pace in final practice, the Briton bounced back in qualifying to secure third place for today’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
In final practice, George Russell complained about the setup of his W16, and he looked to struggle for one-lap performance. However, the Briton appeared to be more comfortable in his car in qualifying, and he did enough to make Q3 without taking any risks.
Replicating what Aston Martin did in Q2, Mercedes sent Russell out on a set of mediums in the final qualifying segment, and it worked a treat as he jumped the McLaren of Norris into P3.
His team-mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli finished at the lower end of the leaderboard on Friday, but he finally found his mojo in final practice. However, the Bologna-born driver struggled to get the best out of the C6 tyre, exiting in Q2 at his home track, and he will start today’s Imola round from P13 on the grid.
Reflecting on his stellar performance in qualifying, Russell stated: "I am happy with P3 today. The car felt really strong out there and I know I could have done even better if I did not make a small mistake on my first lap of Q3. The team made a great call by choosing the Medium tyre for our second and final effort.
“Everything just came together on the lap, and I was able to put the tyres in the right window. There may have been a little more time out there, but I don’t think enough to challenge the two drivers ahead of us.
"This circuit is one of the narrowest tracks on the calendar and it will be really tricky to overtake tomorrow. Fighting with the McLarens ahead will not be easy but we showed solid pace on our long runs in practice.
“If we’re able to perform in a similar manner in tomorrow’s race, then there is every possibility we can fight for the podium,” added the Briton.
