George Russell rues not mimicking Max Verstappen qualifying strategy in Saudi Arabia (2025)

George Russell rued not following polesitter Max Verstappen’s two-lap run plan during qualifying for the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Lando Norris’s crash at the start of the Q3 top-10 shootout on Sunday set the stage for a compressed timeframe to punch grid-setting laps in.

In addition, it opened up the flight for pole position with just one McLaren, Oscar Piastri left in the hunt.

Verstappen was the one to capitlise on Norris’ misfortune and he did so with aid of a compressed two-lap strategy in Q3, unlike his rivals, with only Piastri having set an initial effort before the red flag caused by his team-mate.

Russell, who finished just over a tenth behind Verstappen in third, pondered whether he should have made a similar call.

“I have a little bit of mixed feelings right now because I felt there was a bit more on the table,” Russell told select media, including Motorsport Week.

“There was a lot of pressure going into that last lap because Oscar had a lap on the board.

“I think the run plan that Max did for two laps was a really good one and one we didn’t really consider.

“Just having that lap on the board takes the pressure off. When you go into Turn 1, you’ve got to really send it and you’re braking at 75 metres.

“When you’ve got no lap on the board, it’s like I’ve got no bailout here. I’m P10 if I make the smallest of mistakes.”

Still, coming away from third, Russell was happy with his efforts.

“P3 is much better than I thought,” he said. To be so close to Oscar, again, congrats to Max. He did a great job. It’s going to be interesting tomorrow.”

Russell added that deliberating whether to run two laps was surely “discussed on the pit wall, but I’m not privy to every single conversation because I’m just driving the car ultimately at that point and I put my trust in the team.”

Russell pinpoints conservative tyre preparation behind losing pole

In addition to how many laps to run, Russell pinpointed another area which cost him pole position in Saudi Arabia.

Fearful of making an error at Turn 1, Russell opted for a hotter tyre preparation before his lap, but this cost him in the final sector of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.

Explaining the decision and it’s consequences to Sky Sports F1, Russell said: “I went quite conservative on my out lap with my tyres because it was my one and only lap and I had no bank on the board.

“I just felt that if I made a small mistake at turn one or a lock-up I’d have been down in P10 and usually your last lap in Q3 you’re fully, fully sending it,” he continued.

“So I thought ‘you know what I need to go a bit hotter with my tyres’ just to ensure there’s no mistakes at turn one, and it cost me my last sector,.

“I lost a tenth and a half on myself in the last sector but the lap otherwise was great.”

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