George Russell talked to the media following the qualifying session at Albert Park Circuit. He suggested he doesn't experience the same problems with his car as Lewis Hamilton does.
George Russell outqualified his seven-time World Champion teammate for the third time in a row during the qualifying session ahead of the 2024 Australian Grand Prix.
The 39-year-old didn't make it through to Q3 and will have to start the race on Sunday from P11. Russell will start from the fourth row on the grid - from P7.
While both Mercedes drivers lacked pace, it was clear that Hamilton struggled more than the 25-year-old. The number 44 driver complained after the session, saying the inconsistency in his car really messed with his mind.
Speaking to the media following the end of the session, Russell asserted he doesn't struggle with the same kind of problems as Hamilton:
"I'm definitely not having the fluctuations in confidence or performance on my side of the garage, or in my car, compared to what Lewis is experiencing."
"I'm reasonably happy with how the car is handling. We just don't have the performance."
The 25-year-old suggested everyone is expecting "a lot of degradation" for Sunday's race. This means all teams will likely opt for the hardest tire compound available.
"Every single team has kept two sets of Hards. No one has done a single lap on the Hard yet, and everybody should be racing at least one set of them. That makes it relatively exciting."
Silver Arrows hope to show a better race pace than what we've seen from them in qualifying. Toto Wolff still believes there is potential in W15, but Mercedes was only fast in practice sessions so far. On the other hand, everything can change during the race on Sunday. Russell added:
"We saw in Jeddah [this year] and in Melbourne in the last two years that the C2 tire has been way too resilient for a circuit of this nature."
"So let's see what the Hard tire this year has to offer, but I'm definitely expecting a bit more excitement."
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