George Russell clinched his eighth qualifying victory over Lewis Hamilton this year, despite Hamilton’s once formidable reputation as the ‘King of the One-Lap Qualifier.’
Russell secured pole position ahead of Max Verstappen by logging an identical time to the Red Bull driver. However, according to FIA regulations, the driver who completes the lap first is classified ahead. This was only the second occurrence of such a tie since lap times started being measured to three decimal places.
Hamilton, who had been the fastest in free practice three, blamed his car for the loss, saying it had ‘gone away’ from him. Despite running on worn tires, Russell managed to record his pole time on the first run of Q3, while Verstappen was the only driver to improve on his first run in final qualifying, thanks to new tires. As conditions worsened with increasing wind, the field faced added confusion.
The last time pole position was decided this way was in 1997 when Jacques Villeneuve edged out Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Michael Schumacher. In this session, the average qualifying time difference between Hamilton and Russell was about 0.25 seconds, with Russell benefiting from the changing conditions in the final run.
Hamilton congratulated his teammate, acknowledging Russell’s second career pole. Russell credited his advantage to lessons learned from Hamilton’s data. Sky F1’s side-by-side comparison revealed Russell’s precision and aggressiveness over the kerbs. Additionally, Russell had a tow from Alex Albon on the final straight, further aiding his performance.
Hamilton, conspicuously silent after being told he was P7, had hinted in Monaco that he didn’t expect to beat Russell in qualifying for the rest of the year. Hamilton had been hesitant to use a new front wing upgrade, fearing potential penalties if it got damaged. Russell, however, took the risk and it paid off, giving him a clear edge.
Verstappen seemed content with his P2 qualifying spot, responding with ‘we’ll take that’ over the pit radio. Meanwhile, Sergio Perez, who recently secured a new two-year contract with Red Bull, failed to make it out of Q3 for the second consecutive session, causing some to question the decision to retain him. Christian Horner defended the continuity and stability Perez brings to the team, though his performance has been inconsistent.
Ferrari had another embarrassing strategic mishap, with both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz failing to advance to the final qualifying session. Leclerc, classified P11, indicated his displeasure over team radio but chose to address it privately after the session. New Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur blamed the issue on tire readiness.
McLaren had a strong showing with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri securing P3 and P4 respectively. Piastri managed to advance with last-ditch runs in both Q1 and Q2. Team Principal Andrea Stella mentioned concerns about tire graining during the race but felt optimistic.
Aston Martin also saw improved results, with Fernando Alonso finishing P5 and Lance Stroll in P10. Alonso was annoyed at being pipped by Daniel Ricciardo, who finished P5, marking a resurgence for the Aussie driver at AlphaTauri. His teammate Yuki Tsunoda was 0.2 seconds behind.
Meanwhile, the driver market saw Yuki Tsunoda securing a new two-year contract with Red Bull. Speculation had suggested Liam Lawson might replace him, but team dynamics under Christian Horner appear to have shifted in Tsunoda’s favor.
Russell’s performance underscores a shift in Mercedes’ internal dynamics as Hamilton’s dominance wanes. With the ever-changing conditions and strategic gambles, this qualifying session highlights the unpredictable nature of Formula 1.
