Qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix was a very different ordeal to Friday’s sprint qualifying session which saw a Ferrari qualify on pole position.
Few expected Lewis Hamilton to race out of the blocks at the Chinese Grand Prix this weekend, but he did in some style by taking the sprint pole and victory.
During the main qualifying session, his ex-Mercedes teammate was the late star of the show, producing a fantastic lap to reach the front row.
George Russell split the two McLaren drivers, who have improved as the weekend has progressed and will line up second on Sunday morning.
Russell congratulated Hamilton at the Chinese Grand Prix and also took the time to leave him a message on social media. He still has a good relationship with his fellow Brit.
Helmut Marko thinks Mercedes have a significant issue with their tyres, but managed to fare well in the hot conditions of Saturday’s sprint race. Russell was just two seconds from the podium.
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Martin Brundle says ‘wow’ after watching George Russell’s Chinese Grand Prix onboard
Russell was the last driver to cross the line during qualifying, with little attention placed on what he might be able to do in the Mercedes.
After he crossed the line less than a tenth from Oscar Piastri, who claimed a maiden Formula 1 pole position, Martin Brundle was left stunned by what he saw him do at the final corner.
“Russell found six-tenths of a second from Q2,” he said. “He upshifted halfway through the final corner, just after the apex. George Russell upshifted. Wow, he took some speed through there.”
His stellar one-lap showing follows a solid season-opener at the Australian Grand Prix, where he managed third amid the wet chaos.
There’s a possibility that at the current rate, Russell is forcing himself into the picture for the drivers’ championship in 2025.
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Can George Russell compete for victory at the Chinese Grand Prix?
As has been the case throughout the warm and muggy weekend in Shanghai, preserving the tyres is key to success.
It means avoiding dirty air, and the only way to do that is by leading from the front. With a good start, Russell could be that man in the race.
Russell has warned Mercedes not to fall into a trap by focusing too hard on this year’s car. It could leave them in a hole for the 2026 F1 regulations.
There are long-term gains to be achieved by investing more in their future, even if they are tantalisingly close to the front now.
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