Russell says there is more to come from Mercedes after Canada pole

George Russell is optimistic about Mercedes’ performance after securing their first pole position in nearly a year at the Canadian Grand Prix. Reflecting on the recent improvements, Russell noted, “There’s more to come from us,” signaling that Mercedes is finally reaping the benefits of the upgrades they’ve introduced.

Since the new regulations were implemented in 2022, Mercedes has struggled to find their footing, ending an era of dominance in Formula 1. However, the series of upgrades since the Miami Grand Prix three races ago have begun to make a significant impact. For the first time in a while, the former champions appeared to be the fastest cars on the track at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Russell’s performance in qualifying was remarkable, particularly considering the tightly contested session where both he and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen posted identical lap times of 1:12.000. Russell secured pole position because he set the time first.

POLE!! Holy moly! Let’s go team!!! 👊 pic.twitter.com/NuySn4rJ02

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— George Russell (@GeorgeRussell63) June 8, 2024

“It’s sort of come from nowhere,” Russell admitted. “But maybe not a surprise with the upgrades we’ve been bringing.” He highlighted the recent upgrades introduced in Monaco, which helped them come close to the front row despite the challenges of that circuit. This gave the team confidence heading into Montreal.

The upgrades have significantly improved the car’s handling, especially in terms of cornering. “It’s just turning really nicely through the corners. We struggled a lot with understeer before,” Russell explained. He mentioned that last year, the car had issues with oversteer, and finding a balance between the two has been crucial.