George Russell experienced a challenging qualifying session at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort. The Mercedes driver’s journey began with difficulties in Q1, where he struggled with sliding and slow corner entries, failing to be inside the top 10 initially. “It was just a relief to get through Q1, in all honesty,” Russell admitted, reflecting on the initial challenges he faced.
However, the tides turned quickly for the British driver. In Q2, Russell found himself matching the pace of both the McLaren cars, which had been showing strong form throughout the weekend. This sudden improvement gave him hope for a potential pole position as he entered Q3.
“It’s always surprising how quickly the fortunes shift. You know, in Q2, my lap felt half decent, and I was the same pace as McLaren. So I went into Q3 thinking I had a shot at pole and then the pace just didn’t really come.
“But, you know, we’re doing a great job bringing performance to the car, and we’re clearly catching Red Bull, clearly pulling away from the midfield. But McLaren are improving at the same rate as us.”
The final qualifying segment, however, didn’t play out as Russell had hoped. He explained, “I was on a really strong lap. I think I was two and a half tenths up on myself.
“Tyres overheated and I just lost more performance than I expected in the last half of the lap.”
Despite this setback, Russell remained optimistic about his P4 starting position for the race.
When questioned about the fluctuations in performance between qualifying segments, Russell emphasised the crucial role of tyre management. “I don’t think any of it’s in the car, to be honest. It’s all down to the tyres,” he stated.
“But you want to start the lap with your tyres as cold as possible. But if you go one degree below the limit, you’ll probably lose half a second. If you’re one degree over the limit, you lose a tenth.”
Russell likened the challenge to “balancing this sweet spot” and “edging closer to the edge of a cliff.”
Looking ahead to the race, Russell expects a tight battle with McLaren, acknowledging their recent strong performances, saying, “I expect a good fight with the McLarens.
“I do think it’s fair to say they’ve still been the quickest in the last couple of races, even in Spa. I think Piastri was probably the fastest car out there.
“So realistically, maybe half a tenth, a tenth behind McLaren and Red Bull. But as we’ve seen, if you get the strategy right, you make a good start, that can all change very quickly.”
Russell also touched on the importance of safety in F1, referencing Logan Sargeant’s crash in FP3. As the first driver on the scene, Russell was reminded of the sport’s inherent dangers.
“I think it’s just a reminder that motorsport is dangerous.
“Things can change very, very quickly. No matter how safe you make these cars, if you crash them over 100 miles an hour, there can be some big consequences.”
