Mercedes AMG Formula One driver George Russell was annoyed by the miscommunication with his team that potentially compromised his pace in Q3 of the Italian Grand Prix qualifying session at Monza.
Russell showcased superior pace in Q1 on medium tires, as opposed to the conventional soft tires that drivers opt for. This prompted him to convey his preference to his team to use the medium set again in Q3.
However, the Briton was surprised when Mercedes sent him out in Q3 on soft tires, leading him to clarify the tire compound on the team radio. Russell secured P6 in qualifying but was unhappy with the result. Speaking to Sky Sports F1, he was asked if the medium tires would have improved his lap time. He said:
“I mean we ran it in Q1 and we were the quickest and then after Q2 I said I’d like to use the mediums because I just felt more comfortable on it. It wasn’t the first time this season that mediums have, for some cars at least, been faster. I’m not going to stand here and say if only, we ultimately just didn’t do a good job in Q3 anyway, but a bit annoying.”
When asked why he sounded surprised when his team confirmed it had fitted soft tires on his W16, he said:
“In all honesty, I probably wasn’t totally clear enough. I just said after Q1 I’d like to use the mediums and I sort of re-emphasised during the middle of Q2. So I asked if we’re sticking to the plan and they said yes, but I thought the plan was putting the mediums, they thought the plan was putting the softs.
“So for me, I thought it was quite clear just because of the performance we showed. So yeah, a bit of an error on both halves really.”
Russell will start the race in P5 due to Lewis Hamilton’s five-place grid penalty, which will see him start in P10. Asked about the race pace of his W16, the Mercedes driver said:
“Well I think our race pace will probably be better than Ferrari, but they’re mighty fast in the straights, so we need to try and get ahead of Leclerc from the off, otherwise it’ll be quite a long, frustrating race I think behind him.”
2025 Italian Grand Prix Qualifying Results
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2. Lando Norris (McLaren)
3. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
5. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
6. George Russell (Mercedes)
7. Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
8. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)
9. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
10. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)
11. Oliver Bearman (Haas)
12. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber)
13. Carlos Sainz (Williams)
14. Alex Albon (Williams)
15. Esteban Ocon (Haas)
16. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)
17. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
18. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
19. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
20. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
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