George Russell brands Mercedes car ‘amazing’ after sprint triumph ahead of Chinese Grand Prix
George Russell delivered a commanding performance in sprint qualifying at the Shanghai International Circuit, claiming his maiden sprint pole position with a lap of 1:31.520 seconds.
The British driver, fresh from victory at last weekend’s Australian Grand Prix opener, topped every segment of the shortened qualifying format.
His Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli secured second place, finishing 0.289 seconds adrift to complete an all-Silver Arrows front row.
Russell’s dominance mirrored his Melbourne form, where he held a three-tenths advantage over the Italian rookie.
The 23-year-old’s pole marks his second in less than a week following his Australian success.
Reigning world champion Lando Norris claimed third position for McLaren, though he trailed Russell by a substantial 0.621 seconds.
The British driver edged out Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton by the slimmest of margins, with just two hundredths of a second separating the pair.
However, Norris could find himself elevated to the front row pending the outcome of an investigation into Antonelli.
George Russell delivered a commanding performance in sprint qualifying at the Shanghai International Circuit,
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The Mercedes newcomer faces scrutiny for allegedly blocking Norris during the second segment of qualifying.
Should stewards determine the Italian impeded his rival, a three-place grid penalty would promote the McLaren driver to second position for Saturday’s sprint race.
Oscar Piastri secured fifth position for McLaren, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc slotting in behind to complete the third row of the grid.
The Monegasque driver appeared poised to challenge for a top-three finish before a costly mistake derailed his efforts.
The British driver, fresh from victory at last weekend’s Australian Grand Prix opener, topped every segment of the shortened qualifying format
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Leclerc’s opening quick lap in the final qualifying segment went awry due to an error, robbing him of what looked set to be a significantly stronger result.
The Ferrari man had been on course for third place before the mishap, leaving him to settle for sixth as the Italian squad’s challenge faded in the closing moments of the session.
Max Verstappen endured a difficult afternoon, managing only eighth place as the four-time world champion finished a staggering 1.734 seconds behind Russell’s benchmark time.
The Dutchman was outpaced by Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, who claimed seventh on the grid.
George Russell’s dominance mirrored his Melbourne form
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Red Bull’s troubles extended to their second car, with Isack Hadjar completing the top ten in tenth position.
Adding to the Milton Keynes outfit’s frustration, Haas driver Oliver Bearman split the Red Bull pair, securing ninth.
Verstappen did at least complete the session, having crashed out on his opening lap at the Australian Grand Prix when his rear brakes locked.
Russell said: “The car has been feeling amazing. We knew after Melbourne we had a really good car… today was a real joy to drive.”
