F1 Azerbaijan GP: “This is beyond pathetic now”- Fans react as Lewis Hamilton squeezes Mercedes teammate George Russell out of Q2

Qualifying at Baku saw George Russell shockingly fail to make Q3, as he was pushed out by none other than his teammate

George Russell via The Guardian

The qualifying, which followed the tension-packed free practice session, has met its expectations. Q1 saw the likes of Nyck de Vries, Pierre Gasly, Nico Hulkenberg, Kevin Magnussen, and Zhou Guanyu eliminated, along with two red flags, a common occurrence at the tight street circuit. Q2 did not fail to entertain, with Ferrari showing their new and improved pace, competing with Red Bull, and seeing Mercedes struggle.

We also saw Lewis Hamilton edge out his teammate George Russell as the pair fought to make it into Q3. Lewis Hamilton beat his fellow Englishman by only four-thousandths of a second to make it into Q3, while Russell has to settle for 11th place. This struggle to compete comes as a surprise, especially after the team showed a strong improvement in the last race

FS Video

George Russell will undoubtedly be seething as he fails to make the top half of the grid in a weekend where his team were expected to be one of the frontrunners and challenging for the win after several developmental and hierarchical changes within the team. It will be difficult for he and the team to recover from this setback and they will have to regroup and display their race pace in the sprint on Saturday.

Here is how fans reacted to George Russell’s Q2 exit

Despite the hype and expectations on Mercedes after a strong comeback at the Australian Grand Prix, the team has faltered in qualifying at Baku. With upgrades and improvements having been a huge topic of discussion over the break, the Silver Arrows were tipped to impress and show a blistering pace, starting at Baku. On the contrary, we saw Lewis Hamilton barely qualify for Q3, along with seeing him squeeze his teammate George Russell out of it in the process.

This is beyond pathetic now. At what point do people get held accountable for the past two seasons?
— TJS (@tommy_schultz) April 28, 2023

George Russell's response to being knocked out in Q2 ? pic.twitter.com/QD5kE6FsOu
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) April 28, 2023

"Ahhh sugar"

The most George Russell team radio ever ?
— Matt Gallagher (@MattP1Gallagher) April 28, 2023

https://twitter.com/FutbolML/status/1651952446967812097

What is going on at Mercedes? A horror Friday qualifying with George Russell knocked out of Q2 in P11, and Lewis Hamilton only advancing to Q3 by 0.004 seconds. The works team is also out-qualified by FOUR of its customers – both Aston Martins and both McLarens. #AzerbaijanGP #F1
— Logan Ploder (@LoganPloder328) April 28, 2023

George Russell is clearly not Mr Friday
— Adam (@adamgatto) April 28, 2023

https://twitter.com/Emilitaa23/status/1651952999626067968

george russell is too funny, how are you seething with rage and saying "ahh sugar"?
— niran (@TheOfficialFNG) April 28, 2023

George Russell going “ahhhhh SUGARRRRRR is so British” ?? #AzerbaijanGrandPrix
— Single Seater Space (@SingleSeater_) April 28, 2023

george russell is the kind of guy who says “oh sugar” after being eliminated in q2 pic.twitter.com/x40raM6iuZ
— kayla ౨ৎ (@le16erc) April 28, 2023

george russell being informed he was out of qualifying #P1 #AzerbaijanGP #GeorgeRussell #BakuGP #Qualifying pic.twitter.com/lex0zQktah
— mia (@__miaroseev) April 28, 2023

Despite the fans and paddock alike expecting Mercedes to be fighting at the front of the grid after their expected upgrades, their pace has been meager, and so far has been slower than not only their pervious competitors but also the likes of McLaren. Failing to get both drivers into Q3 will affect the team’s race on Sunday, as starting 11th on the grid in Baku for a car that has the potential to be a top contender is not ideal under any circumstance.