Red Bull fiasco also noticed by Russell: 'A big surprise'
F1 News
- Toby McLuskie
After qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix, it is George Russell who gets to start the race from second place. He saw Carlos Sainz take pole position by eight hundredths, and the Briton himself was only narrowly faster than Charles Leclerc, who starts on P3. Russell himself did expect this performance from the W14.
Did the Mercedes driver anticipate that Ferrari would do so well here? "We know that on the high downforce circuits, we tend to go better. Ferrari always are fast on the street circuit, C5 tyre, so we knew they'd be quick," the Mercedes driver told us.
Russell on Red Bull
"Red Bull are obviously a big surprise, not too sure what's going on there," Russell reveals after the hectic qualifying in Singapore. "So, this is a great opportunity this weekend to get a victory and, we've got a different tyre strategy to every other car on the grid out there. We've got two mediums, so we're the only team who've got the chance to do a one-stop or a two-stop, so that really gives us a great chance for tomorrow," he explained.
Can Russell be ahead of Sainz in the race as early as turn one? " I'm definitely going for it," the Briton says. "I think that will make our life easier. I think we've got the pace over Ferrari in the race, but as I said, we've got the strategic advantage over them."