Mercedes drivers fear they won't be able to challenge for top position in Mexico City
On the back of a tough qualifying session, McLaren drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell fear that they will not be able to challenge the Ferraris, Max Verstappen and Lando Norris for the top positions at today's Mexico City Grand Prix.
Having endured a high-speed crash in Free Practice 2, Mercedes managed to repair George Russell's car for qualifying day at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
The Briton didn’t look discombobulated by his crash as he looked fairly competitive on Pirelli's soft tyres both in final practice and in qualifying. Although Mercedes did not have the outright pace to challenge for a spot in the first two rows, Russell managed to secure a P5 on the grid for today's race at the Mexico City Grand Prix.
Commenting on his day at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Russell said that the fifth starting position was the most he could have hoped for after his scary crash in FP2.
"Firstly, a big thank you to everyone in the garage for working so hard to get the car ready for today. There was extensive damage, and we had to change the chassis overnight. I am therefore happy with our recovery from yesterday.
"We are still running the previous specification package which we’ve had for the last 12 races, so to be less than two tenths off the front-row is a solid effort.
"My final lap felt good, and I was happy with it as I crossed the line. P5 was likely the most we could have hoped for today given the speed of those in front. I don’t think we quite have the race pace of the four cars ahead but let’s see tomorrow. I also expect that they will be scrapping quite hard so maybe the race will come towards us."
His team-mate Lewis Hamilton looked competitive in the first two qualifying sessions, but he had two messy laps in the final segment which saw him end up only sixth on the grid.
"The car felt good in FP3, but I didn’t have that same feeling in Qualifying. We made a few small set-up adjustments after that final practice session as we tried to find a little more speed. Unfortunately, they didn’t bring that extra lap time, and we had to settle for P6.
"It’s going to be difficult to challenge the guys ahead tomorrow. They’ve looked quick, particularly the Ferraris and the McLaren of Norris. Whilst we may not be able to fight them on pure pace, we will be looking to take advantage of any chances that come our way. It is also a long run down to the first corner so making positions off the start could be the key to our race."
