George Russell: The race will be difficult

      George Russell clocked the second time in qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix, losing to pole holder Oscar Piastri by only 0.082 seconds. The Mercedes driver said he was surprised by his result. His team-mate Kimi Antonelli clocked the eighth time.

      George Russell (2nd): "To be honest, I feel incredible emotions. Today was one of the most difficult qualifications in a long time. I tried everything, preparing the tires for the attempt, but nothing worked. Before the last lap, I tried another option, and the car came to life – it turned out to be an amazing lap. I am very happy with the second place.

      I was surprised when I found out after crossing the finish line that I had qualified between two McLarens. It's just great, and I'm looking forward to tomorrow.

      The race will be difficult. It wasn't easy with the Medium tires in the sprint. I think most of the leaders will start on this line-up. Nobody has been working properly with the Hard tires this weekend. At the moment, we don't know if it's going to be a one-stop or two-stop race.

      We know that McLaren will be fast, but I will try my best to stay in the current position or even try to beat them."

      Kimi Antonelli (8th): "I am disappointed with the result. I had trouble warming up the tires, which meant I couldn't get maximum traction from them throughout qualifying. As a result, the car wasn't handling well in the first half of the lap, but everything was fine in the second.

      I think finishing in the top six is an achievable goal. I am realistic about my prospects. We have a good pace, as evidenced by George's front row, but we'll see what we can do in the race."