"They've been on the back foot with the power unit," Russell was left puzzled after Hamilton's sprint pole

George Russell admitted he was left searching for answers after a difficult Friday at Silverstone, as Lewis Hamilton stunned the paddock by securing Sprint pole for Ferrari while Mercedes' expected advantage failed to materialise.

Heading into the British Grand Prix weekend, Silverstone had been widely viewed as a circuit that would suit Mercedes' 2026 package.

Instead, it was Hamilton who stole the headlines, claiming Sprint pole ahead of Mercedes youngster Andrea Kimi Antonelli, with Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc also finishing ahead of Russell.

While Antonelli continued his impressive form by qualifying on the front row, Russell could manage only fifth, having also struggled to match his teammate's pace during the day's only practice session.

The result came as a surprise to the British driver, who admitted Ferrari's performance did not match what Mercedes had expected before the weekend.

"I'm very surprised [by Ferrari]," Russell said. "They've been on the back foot with the PU and energy management, and here they look the best at the moment, so that's been a real surprise.

"We've always known they have a great chassis, but I think some things aren't quite making sense. If I were to have predicted, I would have said Ferrari would be quick last week and us to be quick this week. Obviously, Kimi did a great job, but still, Ferrari has had the upper hand all day."

Hamilton had topped the sole practice session earlier on Friday but remained cautious afterwards, suggesting the competitive order could change once teams revealed their true pace in Sprint Qualifying.

Instead, the seven-time World Champion backed up that performance with a superb lap to secure his third Sprint pole position, while Ferrari looked competitive throughout the day despite concerns over its power unit's energy management at Silverstone.

For Russell, however, Friday continued a trend that has frustrated him for much of the season. Although he has frequently found extra performance in the final phase of qualifying, that step forward never arrived on this occasion.

"It's kind of the story of the year, to be honest. Always on the back foot," Russell explained. "Usually, come Q3, I can generally make a step. Today, that was not quite the case.

"It was very close to P3, but still very much off the pace of Lewis and Kimi, so I need to try and understand why that is. It's a bit strange," concluded Russell.