©Mercedes
George Russell praised a notable improvement in Mercedes’ performance after qualifying fourth for the Hungarian Grand Prix, in a session shaped by rapidly changing conditions and unpredictable grip levels.
The tightness of the Saturday shootout was on full display with Russell ending up just 0.053s behind poleman Charles Leclerc, while only half a second separated the top ten.
But cooler track temperatures and shifting wind levels from Q1 to Q3 threw a curveball at teams, although Mercedes, running an older suspension setup this weekend, seemed to adapt well – and Russell’s result marked a sharp turnaround from earlier sessions.
“It was a really weird session – everybody went so much slower in Q3,” Russell explained.
“I’m not going to kick myself too much because I went a tenth slower and the majority went about three- or four-tenths slower.”
After struggling earlier in the weekend, Russell was encouraged by the pace Mercedes found when it counted.
“I think as always, if you’re P4 and half a tenth off, it’s always like, ‘What if?’, and I made a bit of a mistake,” he said. “P4, compared to yesterday and this morning, is clearly a big step forward.”
Track temperatures dropped from 55°C before qualifying to just 37°C by the end of Q3, creating a scenario that Russell said had a dramatic effect on car balance and performance.
“I think confused is maybe not the right word. It’s just like you have no idea,” he added.
“The track by the end of Q3 was 37 degrees, but 20 minutes before Qualifying it was 55 degrees. That’s going to play a huge role in our performance.”
Looking ahead to Sunday, Russell is eyeing a potential battle at the front: “I hope I can fight with Charles at least, but the Astons look surprisingly strong too.”
While Russell shone in the final shootout, his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli missed out on Q3 after struggling for grip in his last run. The Italian rookie initially placed 11th, but his time was deleted for exceeding track limits, leaving him 15th on the grid.
“I don’t know, the last lap I had no rear-end – the grip was completely gone,” Antonelli said. “Already from Turn 1 I had a massive slide and then it just went worse and worse during the lap.
“I don’t really know what to say. Obviously it’s quite annoying because the confidence was good. Once again, things didn’t go our way.”
©Mercedes
Despite the disappointment, Antonelli believes there was real potential in the car.
“Definitely the car was better and it gave me the confidence, which was nice,” he added.
“That’s why today is very annoying, because definitely the pace was there, and it’s just a shame that we weren’t able to show it.”
With changing conditions continuing to play a key role this weekend, both Mercedes drivers are aiming to make the most of Sunday’s race – Russell from the second row, and Antonelli with a chance to charge forward.
Read also: Wolff rubbishes Mercedes 'crisis meeting' reports after Belgian GP
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via X and Facebook
There is something lurking beneath the surface of Max Verstappen’s Red Bull RB22 — and…
Five days after the 9-11 terrorist attacks that had taken place in the US in…
Formula 1 has officially unveiled its 24-race calendar for the 2027 season, headlined by a…
Franco Colapinto reckons that his Spanish Grand Prix weekend was his best race weekend yet…
Toto Wolff has thrown his weight behind Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s efforts to keep Fernando Alonso…
Spain was supposed to be a weekend of consolidation for McLaren, but for Oscar Piastri,…