George Russell did not see his pole position in Las Vegas coming. The Mercedes driver knew ahead of his final fast lap in qualifying that it was make or break for him, especially with a strong Carlos Sainz as his closest competitor. Russell’s main hope is that he can convert his pole position into a victory during the race.
The qualifying on the street circuit of Las Vegas was chaotic, thanks to the crash of Franco Colapinto at the end of Q2. However, for George Russell, it didn’t matter. The Mercedes driver eventually secured the pole position, after Carlos Sainz initially seemed to be the candidate to take the coveted first spot.
“Absolutely not,” Russell responds when asked after the race if he expected his pole position. “It’s great to be back on pole. We’ve been fast all weekend. I knew during my last fast lap in Q3, that this was the lap that really counted. I thought for a moment that I wouldn’t make the flag, but I’m really so happy. We still need to figure out why we are so fast this weekend.” Russell also clocked the fastest time during the third free practice.
Converting the Pole Position
The Mercedes driver indicated to his team via the on-board radio after his first lap in Q3 that he wanted to be the last driver to set a fast lap in qualifying. The Mercedes driver succeeded, but Russell admits it was a risk. “I knew that if I could set a good final fast lap, I could get on the front row. We’ve been good in qualifying lately, but we now need to convert it into a victory.
