George Russell Attributes Mexican GP Qualifying Near-Miss to Extra Fuel

George Russell has stated that carrying additional fuel for a preparation lap affected his chances of securing pole position at the Mexican Grand Prix. He finished just 0.009 seconds behind his former teammate Lewis Hamilton, who will start alongside him on the front row, with Charles Leclerc in third place.

During the qualifying session, Russell noted that his competitors, including Hamilton and Leclerc, did not perform preparation laps on their final Q3 runs, while Mercedes opted to do so to warm up their tires. Russell expressed frustration over his inconsistent performance throughout the season, highlighting that he has either had poor laps or strong ones.

Currently, Russell is in second place in the drivers' standings, trailing championship leader Kimi Antonelli by 123 points. He faces pressure from Hamilton, who is just one point behind, with only nine points separating positions two through five.