George Russell Reflects on Verstappen’s Strategic Edge in… Read more
George Russell has expressed his admiration for Max Verstappen’s strategic approach during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix qualifying session, suggesting that Mercedes may have missed a valuable opportunity to replicate the move. Verstappen’s clever decision to abort his first flying lap in Q3 allowed him to effectively save two fresh sets of soft tyres for his remaining runs—giving him a significant advantage as the session restarted following a red flag caused by Lando Norris’s crash.
The interruption occurred before most drivers had set a time, leaving only Oscar Piastri with a lap on the board. Verstappen’s early decision meant he could return to the pits quickly, swap tyres with a swift, race-style stop (instead of a full garage reset), and rejoin the track with optimal conditions. This required carrying extra fuel to complete multiple push laps, but the trade-off worked perfectly as Verstappen edged out Piastri for pole position by just 0.010s. Russell ended the session in third, despite briefly holding provisional pole.
Russell later admitted that Verstappen’s strategy was a smart move and hinted that Mercedes had briefly considered a similar tactic but ultimately chose a more traditional approach. “I have mixed feelings because I felt like there was more potential,” Russell explained in a media session including RacingNews365. “There was a lot of pressure on that final lap because Oscar already had a time on the board. Max’s approach with the two laps was clever, and having that banker lap really takes the pressure off.”
He elaborated that starting a push lap with no time on the board significantly raises the stakes—especially at a street circuit like Jeddah, where confidence in braking and tyre performance is crucial. “You go into Turn 1 having to send it, braking at 75 meters. But without a lap set, one small mistake could mean ending up P10. So finishing P3 actually feels better than expected.”
When asked directly whether Mercedes considered Verstappen’s two-lap strategy, Russell confirmed it had been discussed within the team but wasn’t fully executed. “It was mentioned, to be fair,” he said. “There was talk about starting on new tyres and then switching to used ones, but I’m not involved in every detail since I’m in the car. I trust the team with those decisions.”
Russell concluded by emphasizing how confidence is key in such high-pressure scenarios. Knowing he had only one lap to deliver meant he couldn’t fully commit into the first corner, partly due to cooler tyres and the lack of a safety net.
