It is a particularly disappointed George Russell who appeared in the interview ring immediately after the end of the qualifying session which took place at Silverstone.
The Mercedes driver, one of the best interpreters of the flying lap, was unable to find the right feeling with his W13 on the wet asphalt of the English track and since Q2 he complained of a lack of grip which in the end forced him to close the session with a modest eighth time.
Russell, once back on track for the second session, immediately sent a clear message over the radio to his team saying he had no grip, and then struggled even in the third session until he reached the reference of 1’42 ‘as the best time. ‘161.
“The car certainly had a lot more potential today, and I also had a lot more potential, but it got worse and worse with each lap. I had no confidence, ”said a dejected Russell.
A better result was certainly expected at Mercedes after introducing a package of updates which, at least in dry conditions, made the W13 a much more stable car than the hopping one seen in previous events.
George Russell, Mercedes W13
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
The knowledge that he had failed to extract the full potential of the new package was expressed in no uncertain terms by Russell. The Englishman had to chew bitter knowing that he could have achieved a much better position on the grid.
“The fourth or fifth time would undoubtedly have been possible and it’s a shame. I finished a tenth behind Lewis who set the fifth time, so it wasn’t a total disaster, but we could both have been much faster. Especially with the updates we brought we could have achieved a better result ”.
Russell has been the most consistent rider on the grid so far. Despite a Mercedes not at the top, the English driver has always managed to express himself at his best in the race, closing all the appointments held up to now in the top 5.
George said he was confident that tomorrow he will be able to continue this positive streak should the weather confirm the presence of the sun.
“For sure our race pace is better than what we saw in qualifying. This has always been the case this season and we have made further progress this weekend. Qualifying does not fully represent the potential of our car ”.
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