George Russell is frustrated with his fifth starting position for the Miami GP. For a moment during qualifying, the Brit had hopes for a better result, but a self-made mistake in the last fast lap spoiled it. ‘But this is a circuit I always struggle with,’ Russell admits honestly. ‘Kimi is more competitive here’.
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George Russell has lost the direct qualifying duel with his teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli four times in a row. The Brit was last faster than the young Italian during the sprint qualifying for the China GP last March. Since then, Kimi Antonelli has claimed every pole position for a main race and qualified second behind Lando Norris for the sprint in Miami.
Although Russell made a mistake during his last fast lap, the pole for his teammate came as no surprise. “Well, I just made a mistake in the last corner of the last lap; I was about three tenths ahead,” the Brit later explained to the media. “I’m a bit annoyed, but this is a circuit I always struggle with. You know, Kimi was on pole here last year, I was fifth, and today he’s on pole and I’m fifth again.”
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“And the grip here is just very poor, the car slides a lot. The asphalt is hot, just like in Brazil. I think Kimi was more competitive there than I was,” Russell continues. “While I feel much more comfortable in conditions with a lot of grip, where the tires and the car have more contact with the ground.”
Praise from Wolff
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff agrees with the British driver that the Miami circuit suits Kimi Antonelli’s driving style better. “George told me that some drivers struggle on certain circuits, and here the asphalt is very smooth,” Wolff tells Sky Sports. The Austrian then draws a comparison with a very different sport. “It’s almost like a tennis player who is good on clay while another player performs better on a hard surface. But during qualifying, he still did quite well in terms of times. He just missed out on P3. I’m very happy to see his development during qualifying on a circuit where he doesn’t feel completely comfortable.”
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