F1
George Russell narrowly misses the mark, but qualifies third in Jeddah
© Florent Gooden / DPPI
George Russell has been flawless since the start of the season but two things are holding him back: either he is stumbling over McLaren much more competitive than that Mercedes Benz, either he suffers the wrath of the omnipotent Max Verstappen. During qualifying in Jeddah, this scenario was repeated and the British driver will start the race 3rd, behind the Red Bull No. 1 and the No. 81 McLaren ofOscar piastri.
Yet, George Russell must have believed in pole position, as his final lap required a high degree of commitment. His time, 1:27, was only 407 seconds behind Max Verstappen, who smashed the fastest lap ever set on the Corniche circuit. Once again this season, the Mercedes driver's performance was very solid. He confirmed his form and will once again fight for the podium in Sunday's race.
« Honestly, before the session, I would have signed for third place., confided George Russell. But when I saw how close it was… I was very happy with the lap, but you always tell yourself that there's room for improvement. We know, realistically, that these kinds of fast circuits aren't really our strength against the McLarens. Max did a great job today, well done to him. »
Last week in Bahrain, George Russell qualified second before suffering a penalty that relegated him to third position. Once again in this position, the Briton is showing signs of greed and would have liked more. On the ultra-fast track in Jeddah, everything can change in an instant. The idea of a collision between the two drivers ahead of him will undoubtedly fuel the former driver's dreams. Williams tonight…
« It was a difficult session, with the red flag caused by Lando Norris which came at the wrong time in a way. We had to bet everything on one lap, we saw Red Bull try a strategy with two flying laps. Third is a great place on the grid and we'll see what happens tomorrow. »
The race will start on Sunday at 19:00 p.m. (French time).
ALSO READ > Saudi Arabia – Qualifying: A brilliant Verstappen on pole, Norris hits the wall
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Yves-Henri RANDIER
20/04/2025 at 06:18 a.m.
Another podium for Russell and Mercedes, it looks very much like it... unless the Dutchman clashes with the Aussie at the first corner while Norris only starts 1th!
vincent moyet
19/04/2025 at 10:59 a.m.
Russell can dream, but Piastri will be assertive without going as far as crashing with Verstappen. He knows he's now in a strong position at McLaren and that the season will be long and to his car's advantage.