Russell Secures Surprise P4 Amidst Hungarian GP Qualifying Flux

Mercedes driver pleased with progress as track conditions shift dramatically

George Russell expressed his satisfaction with a fourth-place qualifying result at the Hungarian Grand Prix, a session marked by unpredictable track conditions that seemed to favour Mercedes.

Shifting Conditions Impact Performance

Following a sweltering final practice, the Hungaroring circuit experienced a significant drop in temperature and an increase in wind as qualifying commenced. This shift created a challenging environment for drivers as Q1, Q2, and Q3 progressed.

The team’s decision to revert to an older suspension setup appears to have paid dividends, with Russell comfortably reaching the final qualifying phase. He narrowly missed out on pole position by a mere tenth of a second to Charles Leclerc.

“I think as always, if you’re P4 and half a tenth off, it’s always like, ‘What if?’, and I made a bit of a mistake.

It was a really weird session – everybody went so much slower in Q3. I’m not going to kick myself too much because I went a tenth slower and the majority went about three- or four-tenths slower.

P4, compared to yesterday and this morning, is clearly a big step forward.”

—George Russell, Mercedes Driver

Driver Expresses Uncertainty for Race Day

Russell admitted to a degree of uncertainty regarding Mercedes’ race pace due to the dramatic changes in track temperature, which plummeted from 55 degrees Celsius to 37 degrees Celsius in the 20 minutes preceding qualifying.

“I think confused is maybe not the right word. It’s just like you have no idea.

The track by the end of Q3 was 37 degrees, but 20 minutes before Qualifying it was 55 degrees. That’s going to play a huge role in our performance.

I hope I can fight with Charles at least, but the Astons look surprisingly strong too.”

—George Russell, Mercedes Driver

The fluctuating conditions are a significant factor, as demonstrated by the drastic temperature drop, which can heavily influence tyre degradation and overall car performance. For instance, during the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix, tyre management was crucial, with drivers often needing to carefully manage their rubber throughout the race to maintain pace.

Antonelli Faces Qualifying Setback

Meanwhile, Russell‘s teammate, rookie Kimi Antonelli, experienced a disappointing qualifying session. He was eliminated in Q2, ultimately classified 15th after a lap time was deleted for exceeding track limits.

The Italian driver reported a loss of rear grip on his final run, which hampered his performance.

“I don’t know, the last lap I had no rear-end – the grip was completely gone,” he said. “Already from Turn 1 I had a massive slide and then it just went worse and worse during the lap.

I don’t really know what to say. Obviously it’s quite annoying because the confidence was good. Once again, things didn’t go our way.”

—Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes Rookie

Despite his qualifying result, Antonelli expressed optimism about the car’s improved pace, which had given him confidence earlier in the weekend.

“Definitely the car was better and it gave me the confidence, which was nice. That’s why today is very annoying, because definitely the pace was there, and it’s just a shame that we weren’t able to show it.”

—Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes Rookie