George Russell was visibly frustrated after a sudden technical issue ended what had started as a promising qualifying session for him at the F1 Monaco GP.
The Briton had just begun to find his rhythm in Q1, putting his car fifth fastest after struggling for grip on the softs earlier in FP3. “It felt like we were back in the groove,” Russell explained to media after qualifying.
“Q1, everything came easily and I was feeling great in the car and then suddenly, first time of the weekend, it came alive.
“Beginning of Q2, even though I did one corner, the car felt really good and I thought we could fight for the top four positions like we’ve done all season.”
But that momentum did follow through as the Mercedes driver found himself unable to put up any time in Q2 when it was all said and done. Russell’s W15 hit a bump at Sainte Devote.
“Coming up the hill, the car hit the ground, hit a small bump and it all turned off— and that was game over,” he explained. A suspected electrical fault saw the Mercedes roll to a stop at the tunnel, sealing his fate at 14th on the grid for the F1 Monaco GP main race.
Russell admitted it was a hard blow to take, especially at a circuit where track position is everything. “I’m disappointed because qualifying here is the most exciting quali of the year,” he said.
“The team have done so much hard work from practice to now and it was working… I could tell from lap one in Q1, we’re back in the game here- and it all went out of the window.”
Russell braces for uphill F1 Monaco GP fight
With overtaking limited and strategy options narrow on the tight streets of Monte Carlo, Russell knows he has little room to claw back positions on Sunday. “It’s not good news,” he admitted. “It’s difficult to find any positives right now.”
The W16 had shown glimpses of potential just as qualifying began to come alive, but Russell’s shot at a top-four finish was dashed in an instant. “I didn’t get a chance to do that”, he said about fighting at the front. “So… difficult to find positives.”
If Saturday was a glimpse of what could’ve been, Sunday will be a test of patience, strategy and damage limitation for George Russell and Mercedes.
