George Russell briefly dreamed of pole position in Saudi Arabia, but then saw both Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri surpass his fast time. According to the Mercedes driver, the unexpected pole position of the Dutchman was partly due to Red Bull’s masterful strategy. ‘It was one we hadn’t thought of ourselves,’ Russell admits candidly.
For a brief moment on Saturday in Saudi Arabia, George Russell was allowed to dream of pole position. The Brit clocked 1:27.407, but Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri eventually drove faster. Therefore, the Mercedes driver will start the race in Jeddah in third place, partly because, in Russell’s own words, his team used the wrong strategy.
“I stand here now with mixed feelings, because there was definitely more potential,” the driver says after the session. “There was a lot of pressure on that last flying lap, because Oscar had already set a lap. In addition, Max’s strategy of two fast laps in a row was a very good one, one we hadn’t thought of ourselves. If you’ve already set a good lap, it takes a lot of pressure off.”
Trust in the Team
Verstappen had aborted his first attempt for a flying lap in Q3, leaving the Dutchman with two new sets of tires in the final stages. As a result, the world champion didn’t have to go all the way into the garage after his first attempt at pole position, but a pit stop was enough. Russell reveals that Mercedes also considered using the same strategy.
“I’m not privy to every conversation within the team because I’m driving the car. In the end, I just trust what the team decides at that moment,” the Brit continues. “As a driver, knowing that you have that one lap, especially on a circuit like this, you have to fully commit. In turn 1, I just didn’t have the confidence to cool the tires.”
