George Russell found himself grappling with tyre issues and unexpected competition during Miami's Sprint Qualifying. The Mercedes driver ended the session in sixth, surprised by the progress of McLaren and Ferrari.
George Russell had a tough time in Sprint Qualifying at the Miami Grand Prix, and he wasn't shy about sharing what went wrong. The Mercedes driver finished the session in sixth place and admitted he was taken aback by how much McLaren and Ferrari had improved.
The Silver Arrows were already dealing with issues from Friday's practice session, leaving them on the back foot as Sprint Qualifying kicked off. It was McLaren and Ferrari, both debuting upgrade packages, who dominated the session. Lando Norris snagged pole position, while Russell's teammate, Kimi Antonelli, managed to secure P2 at the last moment. Meanwhile, Russell had to settle for P6.
"It's quite surprising how much progress McLaren and Ferrari have made," Russell, 28, remarked. "We expected them to close the gap, but they were quicker than us all day. Personally, I struggled today. I'm not particularly fond of Miami, especially in these hot conditions. But it's just Sprint Qualifying, so let's see what tomorrow brings."
When asked about the specific issues, Russell explained he was having trouble with tyre overheating in the twisty middle section of the track. "I couldn't get the right balance with the car," he admitted, "and there's not much more to say than that. I've just been quite surprised by the progress of others, but there's another day tomorrow."
As for the upcoming race, Russell wasn't overly optimistic. "I don't know," he said when asked if he could challenge those ahead. "I'm not in a great starting position. Sprint races don't usually offer much, but China was interesting this year, so there's a chance for a bit of racing. I just want to get off the line without losing any more positions and see what we can do."