© Jiri Krenek for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
Here is the transcript of the post 2024 Qatar Grand Prix Qualifying parc fermé interviews and press conference with George Russell.
TRACK INTERVIEWS
(Conducted by Jolyon Palmer)
Q: All right, good luck tomorrow, Lando. Thank you. George Russell, another front row start. I sense you’re frustrated there to miss the pole, though?
George RUSSELL: Yeah, I mean, it’s been a great run so far. The last four qualifyings we’ve been on the front row every one, which I don’t think we could have dreamt of a few races ago, so feeling in such a groove at the moment, feeling really great. My first lap was one of the best I’ve ever done. And then, for whatever reason, just couldn’t find that extra bit of time on the last lap, and Max pipped me. But just taking the positives, the car’s been so great the last two weekends, and just enjoying it while we can.
Q: We saw an incident where you were blocked by Max. Was there anything in that at the end there?
GR: You tell me. You’re the expert. I mean, I ended up going through the gravel. all over the floor, through the floor. So it felt like the floor was scraping over that kerb and through the gravel. So I hope it didn’t damage it. Maybe that’s the reason why we didn’t improve. I don’t know. But it was a bit of a hairy one, two corners before we start the lap.
Q: But on the positives, you led in Brazil, you won in Vegas. It looks like Mercedes are here to stay now at the front.
GR: Yeah, I mean, these have been three really great races for us. I think Brazil, a little bit circumstantial with the wet qualifying on the Sunday morning. But the pace last week in Vegas was true. The pace here this weekend is real as well, but it’s so close out there. But it just is nice to be in the mix at the front once again.
Q: Race pace looked good earlier. Big fight with Oscar. Can you take it to Max tomorrow?
GR: Yeah, I mean, just excited. Hopefully we can have a proper race rather than this team orders stuff. So, no, it’s going to be a good race. I think we’ll all be going for it. It’s actually great that Max is in the mix as well. I was really surprised at their turnaround because they looked really off the pace yesterday, off the pace this morning. And obviously they were both in Q3 and Max on pole. So I think we’ve got a good race on our hands.
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PRESS CONFERENCE
Q: Good luck with that. Thank you very much, George, let’s come to you now. Just 55 one thousandths of a second off Max’s pole time. Can you picture where you lost that time on the lap?
GR: No, not really. To be honest, my first lap was really strong. I was really pleased with that. I think it was a couple of tenths clear. And then I just didn’t improve on that last lap. Obviously, I had a really scrappy out lap with the near collision with Max, and I ended up going through the gravel two corners prior to opening my lap. So it was not a good start. So that was probably the 55 milliseconds. It’s great to be in this groove at the moment, four front row starts in a row, which has been really pleasing considering where we were three or four races ago. And the race pace this morning looked great. So Max did a great job. Red Bull seemed to turn it around a little bit since yesterday, but let’s see what tomorrow brings.
Q: We’re seeing a lot of consistency from you and Mercedes now. What do you put that down to? Because it’s been an inconsistent season, hasn’t it? But now we’re seeing you guys up the front pretty much every weekend.
GR: Well, I think these last two races, the circuits have played in our favour. We know when we can get the car low and stiff on a smooth track, it works pretty well. Brazil, we didn’t actually have the pace. You know, we were very slow in the Sprint, in the Sprint qualifying, but of course it was a wet qualifying on the Sunday morning, so that evened things out a little bit. So I think we flattered ourself a bit in Brazil, but these last two races, when we really, analyse it. I don’t think it’s a surprise. the car is performing as well as it has shown.
Q: You had a lot of pace in the Sprint this morning. So how much hope does that give you going into the Grand Prix?
GR: Yeah, it’s going to be exciting. I mean, those inside starting positions were really tricky. I think every driver on the right-hand side made a poor start and that ultimately cost me the chance to fight with Lando. Now, obviously, Max up front, I think it’s going to be a really close fight between, I mean, all four teams. Ferrari looked on the same pace as Lando and myself this morning. So, I mean, I hope it’s going to be a good one, but the tyres seem pretty resilient. Maybe we’ll see another DRS train, I don’t know.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q: (Alex Kalinauckas – Autosport) Another question to Max, please. Just could we get your perspective on what happened ahead of that final lap in Q3 with George coming up behind you? Was there another car just ahead of you as well? Were you a bit unsighted? Thanks.
Max VERSTAPPEN: Yeah, there were two cars in front of me also making a gap, so I had to make a gap. And I knew that everyone was on a slow lap, not on a push lap. Yeah. And then I think George got excited. He wanted to pass and get around. That’s fine. I mean, everyone, of course, tries to get their position, you know, to have the best possible start to the lap.
GR: I was following my delta, so it was, yeah.
MV: Next time just drive straight through!
GR: I didn’t want to get penalised because we’re told to follow the delta, so…
Q: (Niharika Ghorpade – Sportskeeda) George, how much of a disadvantage is it going to be tomorrow to start on the dirtier side, or are you confident you can make a pass and probably even potentially take the lead at the start itself?
GR: Excuse me. It’s probably about one and a half cars length difference from the inside all the way to turn one. We normally judge it based on distance in four seconds, and we think it’s probably about four metres different left to right. It’s, yeah, I mean, it’s quite a big difference here. I hope the guys tonight or the track can clean it a bit because it was pretty clear in the sprint that everyone on that right side made bad starts and that’s obviously a little bit unfair to have those circumstances.
Source: FIA.com
