George Russell and Lewis Hamilton expressed their views on qualifying at the Mexican Grand Prix, where they will start in fifth and sixth positions, respectively.
Hamilton and Russell had mixed feelings after qualifying.
Carlos Sainz Jr. from Ferrari secured pole position, followed by Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, and Charles Leclerc.
Both Mercedes drivers now face a tough challenge to reach the podium.
Hamilton lacked confidence heading into the race, stating, “The car felt good in P3, but during qualifying, everything changed.
It was a frustrating session, which has been a theme this year.”
He also dismissed the possibility of replicating his strong second-place finish from last year’s race, saying, “With the car we have, that’s unlikely.”
Russell, however, felt pleased with his performance, especially after recovering from a high-speed crash in practice.
He noted that his car was different from the one he drove earlier and expressed satisfaction with his lap time, which was just a tenth off P3.
He mentioned the potential for unexpected outcomes in the race due to the positions of Checo and Piastri.
In a separate interview, Russell called his final qualifying lap one of his best this season and highlighted how close he was to Hamilton throughout the session.
He acknowledged that while he was still half a second away from pole, performances can vary significantly from one session to the next.
