F1 Australian GP: Lewis Hamilton and George Russell “disappointed,” as Max Verstappen outclassed ‘unexpectedly fast’ Mercedes for Pole
The Mercedes duo will start P2 and P3 at the Australian GP, it is the team's best qualifying result this season.
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George Russell & Sir Lewis Hamilton. Image via The Telegraph.
Things are finally turning around for the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 team. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton qualified for P2 and P3, respectively. This was an unexpected result for the team. They hoped to finish P5-P8, but this came as a surprise. The Mercedes duo are elated with their performance. And it put a smile on the team boss, Toto Wolff’s face. Russell clocked 1:16.968, and Hamilton, 1:17.104.
Mercedes was struggling in the first two races of the 2023 season. They found themselves behind Aston Martin. This was a wake-up call for the Brackley team. Wolff and Hamilton spoke about changing the car concept and making bold decisions for the upcoming races. Keeping all that aside, the team is thrilled to have a P2 and P3 start tomorrow in Albert Park.
After qualifying, George Russell stated, “We weren’t expecting that, that’s for sure. A lot of hard work going on back at the factory, here in Melbourne… Wow, what a session for us. The car felt alive, and the lap at the end was right on the limit. I was a little bit disappointed that we didn’t get pole position, it’s one of those things how your expectations change so quickly in this sport. We probably would’ve been happy with a top 4, or top 5 yesterday, but the car felt awesome.”
The Mercedes drivers are happy with the qualifying result, they hope to keep the momentum going
Lewis Hamilton, who qualified P3, stated he was grateful for the position. “The second lap was as good as the first one. I did get a bit further ahead on the last sector but, ultimately, lost a little bit at the beginning. But, I’m not disappointed, I’m super grateful for this position and I’m just gonna work as hard as I can to try and move forwards tomorrow.”
The seven-time world champion expressed his happiness. “I’m so happy with this [result]. This is totally unexpected, really really proud of the team, George did a fantastic job there today. For us to be up on the two front rows is honestly a dream for us. We’re all working as hard as we can to get right back up at the front. To be this close to Red Bull is, honestly, it’s incredible. I hope tomorrow we can give them a bit of a run for their money, and we hope the weather is good.” As it stands, Hamilton is 6th in the driver’s constructors, and Russell is 5th.
Max Verstappen took the pole position for the Australian GP. This is his best qualifying in Albert Park. Mercedes duo is right behind Verstappen and will put up a good fight. Verstappen’s teammate Perez crashed out in Q1. Fernando Alonso will start behind Hamilton, followed by Sainz, Stroll, Leclerc, Albon, Gasly, and Hulkenberg. The Australian GP is going to be an action-packed race.
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Sugantha Meena
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