Lewis Hamilton achieved his record 9th Pole in Hungary. But his Mercedes teammate, George Russell got eliminated in Q1. While one side of the Mercedes garage rejoiced, the other side was left groaning. After his Q1 exit due to unanticipated traffic, Russell blamed Toto Wolff and Co. for mismanaging his Out Lap timing. But the blame has now turned around on him because of his absence of mind which cost Mercedes highly.

In his final flying lap attempt in Q1, Russell lined up behind some cars before the last corner. But instead of taking a chance to start his lap when he got it, he did not. So, 2 cars passed him right before he could start the lap. And another car overtook him as he just started accelerating. As a result, he lost a few tenths in the first sector. And he was furious with his engineer on the team radio, calling their performance a “S**tshow”.

However, his criticism of Mercedes‘ Qualifying strategy has not gone down well with certain sections of the motorsport universe. At the 2023 Miami GP, Hamilton couldn’t make it to Q3 because Mercedes sent him out in traffic. But this instance in Budapest was labeled as Russell’s mistake. In the latest episode of BBC’s Chequered Flag podcast, Host Rosanna Tennant, Chris Hartley, and former Williams F1 driver Jack Aitken discussed the same and shined a light on Russell’s lack of assertiveness on the racetrack.

Aitken said, “It was a disaster watching him. He couldn’t decide when to go and really get his elbows out. And they yea, he got a bit moany over the radio. That was largely down to him. The engineer can only do so much for you in guiding you through those situations.”

Tennant comically replied, saying, “So, the nice British guy needs to get a bit punchier, is that what we’re saying? No more sugar lumps or crumpets or whatever he says when he’s stressed.”

George Russell’s “Sh*t Show” Hailed as Blessing in Disguise for Lewis Hamilton by Ex Ferrari Boss

It was a nightmare of qualifying for the young Briton. Despite being disappointed with his result, he acknowledged Hamilton’s fearless flying lap that got him Pole.

George Russell Dejectedly Commends Lewis Hamilton as Mercedes Gets Contrasting Results

Russell definitely did not get the result he was hoping for. This is the second-worst result he could get after a DNF. What must have gotten him more riled up is that the W14 was quick enough for Pole. Maybe Lewis Hamilton pushed it to the very extreme to get that result which Russell might not be capable of yet. Still, Russell has good things to say about his teammate but did not let the Brackley outfit go free easily.

“I knew how quick the car was and we knew that we’d be fighting for the front row, but obviously Lewis has done an amazing job,” said Russell after the session. “I’m really disappointed to be out where we were because the car was really quick and we just got completely screwed with that last lap with the track positioning.”

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It is going to be a challenging Hungarian GP for the Mercedes youngster as he begins the steep climb from P18. Though he should be faster than the cars outside the Top 10, he could face severe resistance to get in the points.

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