George Russell: I hope to fight for the podium

      George Russell and Kimi Antonelli posted the fourth and fifth fastest times in qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix. The situation in the Constructors’ Championship is such that Mercedes could already guarantee second place on Sunday. The team is determined to achieve that result.

      George Russell (4th): "We can be happy with fourth on the grid, which opens up good opportunities to score the many points we need in our fight for second in the Constructors’ Championship.

      Of course it’s frustrating that I was just a hundredth short of Max Verstappen’s third place, but the results are so tight right now. Both McLaren drivers are impressively quick, so third was the maximum we could reasonably expect. Overall the team did a good job, considering Kimi’s fifth. In the race we’ll try to secure second in the Constructors’ Championship.

      The race will be interesting because we have a limited distance that can be run on a single set of tyres, so there will be two mandatory pit stops. This weekend the car has no balance issues, and I hope to fight for a podium. We’ll see who ends up with how many points after the finish."

      Kimi Antonelli (5th): "I can’t say I’m completely satisfied with fifth, because the pace suggested we could have achieved more. Nevertheless, I have a good starting position and we have a good chance to score a lot of points.

      My final lap in qualifying wasn’t perfect. I drove the second sector very well, but the first sector was harder for me than at any time this weekend. In the first corner I lost a bit of rear-end control. It’s usually difficult to make up the time lost in the first corner over the rest of the lap.

      It’s a pity, but compared to the Friday sessions we’ve consistently improved, and I’m confident we can get the maximum out of the car in the race. Strategically the race should be straightforward with two pit stops. The start, as in the sprint, will play a huge role in the race, so we need to try to gain as many positions as possible."