George Russell Points to Gravel Damage for 'Shock' Sprint Qualifying Exit
Summary
George Russell attributes his surprising early exit from Spa sprint qualifying to car damage sustained from hitting gravel scattered by teammate Kimi Antonelli.
George Russell's Shock Sprint Qualifying Exit at Spa
The big picture: George Russell was eliminated early in sprint qualifying at Spa, a surprising outcome he attributes to hitting gravel from his teammate Kimi Antonelli's earlier incident.
Why it matters: Russell's unexpected Q2 exit raises concerns about the car's performance or potential damage, which could significantly impact his sprint race.
The details:
- Kimi Antonelli failed to advance past the opening segment, running wide at Turn 14 and spreading gravel onto the racing line.
- Russell, driving shortly after Antonelli's mistake, ran over this gravel.
- He immediately noticed a change in the car's feel, stating: "For the rest of that lap, it felt terrible, the lap after felt terrible. My lap in Q2 felt terrible."
- Mercedes' Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin supported Russell's theory, confirming "some floor damage and gravel rash" on Russell's car.
- Shovlin also noted Antonelli's car sustained significant damage from his off-track excursion.
What's next: The Mercedes team will investigate the full extent of the damage to Russell's car ahead of the sprint race, hoping to understand if it was the sole factor for his performance dip.
Original Article :https://racingnews365.com/george-russell-hints-at-painful-reason-behind-shock-sp...