George Russell will have to start the United States Grand Prix in Austin from the pit lane following his crash in qualifying.
Russell had originally qualified in P6, however, he ended the session in the wall after losing control of his car at 125 mph. Teammate Lewis Hamilton had offered Russell some parts off his car following his awful qualifying session. Russell rejected the offer.
Repairing Russell’s car meant his mechanics had to break Parc Ferme rules. This means that cars cannot undergo maintenance or repairs in-between qualifying and the race.
This only adds to the poor weekend that Mercedes are having in Texas. Hamilton qualified P19 on Saturday, one of the worst in his career. Now, the Silver Arrows could be fighting each other – only this time it will be at the back of the grid rather than the front.
The repairs on Russells car also means he cannot race with the upgrades which Mercedes brought to America.
(Image: Getty Images)
“All season, when the car is in the sweet spot, we are fighting for poles and wins,” Russell said. “Yesterday [Friday], we were both fighting for pole and today [Saturday] we were both almost out in Q1.
“I really pushed it on that last lap, and ultimately, trying to find performance that wasn’t there and paid the price. And I’m really just disappointed with myself because everyone’s worked so hard to bring the upgrades. Now that it is in bin.”