All articles tagged with #george russell
Kimi Antonelli clinched pole for the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, beating Mercedes teammate George Russell by 0.298s after leading most of qualifying; Verstappen was eliminated in Q2 and starts 11th, with Piastri and Leclerc on the second row, Norris and Hamilton behind, and Gasly, Hadjar, Bortoleto and Lindblad completing the top 10.
Toto Wolff said a Mercedes setup tweak caused oversteer and nose instability for George Russell in qualifying at Suzuka, leaving him at a disadvantage for the Japanese Grand Prix. Russell qualified second while team-mate Kimi Antonelli took pole, and Wolff indicated the changes are unlikely to be reversed before the race, meaning Russell may have to race with the issue.
Kimi Antonelli claimed pole at Suzuka with a 1m28.778s in Q3, narrowly ahead of George Russell after a late setup change left Russell fighting a rear-end balance; Oscar PiastriQualifying third as Charles Leclerc failed to improve on final runs amid gusty winds and cooler track, with resurfacing adding grip variability and renewing calls for early-2026 qualifying tweaks.
Mercedes topped FP1 at Suzuka with George Russell fastest (1:31.666), followed by teammate Kimi Antonelli as McLaren broke into the top five; the session also featured driver changes and ongoing investigations amid Honda noting vibrations when the power unit is fitted to the AMR26 chassis.
Pole-sitter Kimi Antonelli converted his Chinese Grand Prix pole into his maiden F1 victory, beating team-mate George Russell as Lewis Hamilton secured Ferrari’s first podium of the year; Charles Leclerc finished fourth, Ollie Bearman took Haas’s best finish in fifth, and Verstappen, Alonso and Stroll retired amid a chaotic race.
George Russell clinched pole in Shanghai by topping Q3 with a 1:31.520, in a qualifying session that saw Leclerc lead in Q2 and Williams eliminated in Q1; he also won the sprint after an eventful start and a safety car, while Kimi Antonelli received a 10-second penalty for a collision with Arvid Lindblad. The weekend features practice, sprint, and live radio updates.
George Russell won the chaotic Chinese Grand Prix sprint 2026 after a sequence of lead swaps with Hamilton and a late safety car; Hulkenberg's retirement triggered pit stops, Piastri briefly moved to fifth before yielding to Antonelli, Verstappen climbed from 15th to ninth, and Liam Lawson rose to seventh.
George Russell will start the 2026 F1 Chinese Grand Prix Sprint from pole in Shanghai after a strong Friday lap, with Kimi Antonelli second and Lando Norris third while Lewis Hamilton qualifies fourth; Max Verstappen is eighth and Isack Hadjar tenth as the sprint grid is provisionally set, with Alex Albon due to start from the pit lane following a suspension setup change (grid remains provisional until FIA confirmation).
George Russell led a Mercedes 1-2 in the sole Chinese Grand Prix practice, with Kimi Antonelli second and Lando Norris third. Oscar Piastri was fourth and Charles Leclerc fifth, while Lewis Hamilton was sixth after an earlier spin on older tyres. Max Verstappen was eighth, behind Haas driver Oliver Bearman, and Arvid Lindblad retired after six laps with a reliability issue. Ferrari introduced a rear wing with a rotating flap for straight-line mode, and Norris and Hamilton collided at the final corner early in the session. Sprint qualifying is scheduled for 07:30 UK time.
George Russell hit back at Lando Norris's critique of F1's energy-management–driven new rules after Norris's post-Australian GP comments, saying drivers are inherently selfish and urging fans to give the regs a proper chance. Russell, who won the Australian GP from pole and now leads the title race, argued energy strategy will vary by track (Shanghai next) and noted last year McLaren beat him with a similar engine, illustrating that results depend on how teams interpret the rules.
George Russell won the season-opening Australian Grand Prix from pole for Mercedes, signaling a strong start under a sweeping rule change that shifts emphasis to energy harvesting and battery power. Antonelli finished second for Mercedes, with Leclerc third and Hamilton fourth; Norris was fifth and Verstappen sixth after starting 20th following a qualifying crash. Piastri failed to start after crashing on a reconnaissance lap, Ferrari missed an early pit chance, and Cadillac’s debut faced a technical setback, underscoring the new regulations’ immediate impact on the field.
Mercedes’ George Russell secured pole for the 58-lap Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, while home favourite Oscar Piastri spun on the reconnaissance lap and is out of the race; McLaren face early heartbreak as the season opener unfolds amid new F1 regulations, with the UK start time at 04:00 GMT.
George Russell secured pole for the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, clocking a lap that was 0.785 seconds faster than the rest of the field as Mercedes showcased a strong energy-management performance under the new regulations; the Briton described the car as feeling like a go-kart, highlighting the team’s efficient deployment and aerodynamic edge that left rivals scrambling to keep pace.
Mercedes topped Melbourne practice and qualifying, with George Russell on pole and an eight‑tenths gap to Red Bull, signaling a powerful early advantage from engine and chassis. Rivals warned the season won’t be decided yet and upgrades plus rule clarifications could narrow the gap, but Mercedes has reignited championship momentum early in 2026.
George Russell claimed pole position in Melbourne as Mercedes delivered a dominant qualifying performance, locking out the front row with Kimi Antonelli beside him. Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar will start third, with Charles Leclerc fourth and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri fifth and Lando Norris sixth completing the top six. Lewis Hamilton heads the next tier in seventh, joined by Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad in the top 10, while Nico Hulkenberg and Oliver Bearman sit on row six. Esteban Ocon, Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto fill the next positions, with Fernando Alonso P17, Sergio Perez P18, Valtteri Bottas P19, and Max Verstappen starting P20 after a Q1 crash; Lance Stroll and Carlos Sainz start from the back of the grid.