The Mercedes driver starts on pole for the Chinese Grand Prix sprint, but he knows the Ferrari threat is still present.
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George Russell will start from the first position of the sprint on the Shanghai circuit, after dominating the sprint qualifying with nearly three-tenths of a lead over his teammate Kimi Antonelli, who is under investigation for impeding Lando Norris during SQ2.
Despite this great performance, Russell remains cautious: behind him, the Ferrari threat looms. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will start fourth and sixth respectively, and Russell perfectly remembers the opening race in Melbourne, where Leclerc had a lightning start from fourth place, overtaking both Mercedes and the Red Bull of Isack Hadjar at the first corner.
Learning from Melbourne
The Australian experience served as a lesson for Mercedes. Russell explains: “Since Melbourne, all our work has been focused on improving our starts. We have tried different solutions to react better to the green light. Melbourne was a bit tricky on the first laps, but we think we have found some improvements that we will test tomorrow morning.”
The Briton knows that the race opening will be decisive, especially against the Italian cars and their ability to leap at the start. The goal is simple: avoid being caught off guard and control the pace from the first corners.
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Russell is also very satisfied with his car on the Chinese track: “The car is incredible to drive, the engine is working very well and today was a real pleasure. The feeling is very different from Melbourne and it will be interesting to compare this year’s times with those of last year.”
His lap times are impressive: he is only four tenths slower than his own sprint record last year in Shanghai and remains seven tenths behind Hamilton’s pole. A performance that confirms Mercedes has a competitive car on this demanding circuit.
Vigilance remains key
Even on pole, Russell remains aware that nothing is guaranteed. The Ferraris could once again surprise at the start, and the battle for the podium promises to be intense. The outcome of the sprint will therefore be a key indicator for the rest of the weekend, and for Mercedes, it is crucial to capitalize on this front row to stay ahead of the reds.
With a controlled start, the Briton hopes that his strategy will allow him to maintain control against the Italian attacks and lay the foundations for a solid weekend in Shanghai.
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