Mercedes provided a surprise in qualifying for the 2023 Australian Grand Prix. George Russell admitted that he didn't expect it either, and was clearly looking forward to be starting alongside Max Verstappen.
Verstappen will be left to keep the Mercedes behind alone after his teammate Sergio Perez got caught in the gravel trap during Q1. Nevertheless, Russell's front-row was achieved on merit and he was within three-tenths of the lead Red Bull driver. Far closer for Mercedes than at any other point in the 2023 season so far.
Surprise result
"Wasn't expecting that! A lot of hard work going on back in the factory and here in Melbourne. Wow. What a session for us, the car felt alive," the British drivert said in his first reaction to the result.
Russell admitted that this pushed past his best expectations for the weekend, but in the end wanted more. "I was disappointed we didn't get the pole position. It's one of those things how your expectations change so quickly in this sport. We'd have been happy with top four yesterday. It shows we have potential still to come," Russell warned.