Jenson Button praised a ‘sublime’ Formula 1 driver after producing another ‘fantastic’ qualifying display to impress the 2009 champion at the Qatar Grand Prix on Saturday.
The Lusail International Circuit is staging the penultimate round of the 2024 season with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to follow next week. McLaren could clinch their first constructors’ title since 1998 at the Qatar GP, with the Woking crew needing to leave 45 points clear of Ferrari.
But after a one-two finish as Lando Norris gifted Oscar Piastri the Qatar Sprint win earlier on Saturday, qualifying fell away from McLaren. The papaya cars locked out row two of the grid, as newly-minted four-time champion Max Verstappen beat George Russell for pole position.
Jenson Button praises George Russell’s Qatar Grand Prix qualifying display
Verstappen posted a 1:20.520 lap in Q3 to claim the Red Bull driver’s first pole position since the Austrian Grand Prix back in June. The Dutchman’s run beat the 1:20.575 that Russell put on the board for the Mercedes star to pip McLaren’s Norris (1:20.772) and Piastri (1:20.829).
Yet while Russell missed out on what would have been his fifth career pole and fourth of the season as Verstappen sealed his 63rd and ninth of the year, the Briton impressed Button. He praised the 26-year-old at the end of Q3 having shown great qualifying pace at recent races.
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As well as claiming a front-row start for the Qatar Grand Prix, Russell had qualified P2 for the F1 Sprint. The King’s Lynn native also took pole for the Las Vegas Grand Prix and secured P2 on the grid for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. His other poles were in Montreal and Great Britain.
“I have to say with George, he has been on it the last few races in qualifying,” Button said on Sky Sports F1 (30/11, 19:04). “He’s done such a fantastic job! Sublime!”
George Russell may fear losing places from P2 in a repeat of the Qatar Sprint
Russell may have drawn praise from Button for his qualifying display at the Qatar Grand Prix, but the Mercedes racer will want to reap the rewards in the race this Sunday. He was unable to reap the rewards of starting the F1 Sprint in P2 as Piastri passed him in Turn 1 at the start.
The sand that drifts across the track at Lusail makes starting on the clean, racing line hugely beneficial at the start of a race. Russell paid the price for the inferior grip levels on the even-numbered side of the grid in the Sprint as Piastri pulled alongside before turning into Turn 1.
Mercedes will undoubtedly study the data to see if a different clutch setting can help Russell get a better start in the Qatar Grand Prix to challenge Verstappen into Turn 1, rather than be under pressure from Norris. The McLaren pilot got a great launch from pole in the F1 Sprint.
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