Russell happy with P2 in qualifying, but Hamilton frustrated with P3

There were mixed feelings at the Mercedes garage after Friday’s qualifying session, despite solid performance, which saw both cars finish in the top 3, trailing only to pole-sitter Max Verstappen.

George Russell stuck his W14 on the front row after Lando Norris time had been deleted. The Brit was absolutely delighted with the outcome and did not hide his emotions.

“Just very pleased with how the session went, regardless,” said Russell. “I was pretty happy with P3 to be honest because this track is so sandy off the racing line.”

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However, his teammate Lewis Hamilton did not seem to enjoy the result as much, despite qualifying only a place adrift in P3. The 38-year-old was second after the first runs, but a snap of oversteer in the first sector forced him to abort his final run, which dropped him behind Russell.

“Not massively. But it’s great for the team to be on the first two rows, second and third, I think is great for the team.” Hamilton said.

“Difficult at the beginning of the session, but tricky conditions out there with the wind, but ultimately it was a pretty average session for me.”