George Russell finished in third place in qualifying for the Russian Grand Prix. The 17-time Grand Prix winner Max Verstappen agrees that it is a fine achievement by his generation, but states that it is not only thanks to Russell himself. According to Verstappen the FW43B is now a competitive car.
"George is a very good driver, but if you are capable of something like this, it shows that the car is not that bad either," Verstappen told Motorsport-Magazin.com. So the 23-year-old driver has clearly seen Williams make strides this season. "This car is no Red Bull or no Mercedes, but they drive with more downforce and then everything comes closer together [in rainy conditions]. People need to understand that the car [of Williams] is not as bad as assumed."
Verstappen with confidence
Verstappen himself has to start from the back of the grid at the Sochi circuit. In qualifying, the Dutchman was not in action and so his RB16B is all set for a catch-up race. During practice for the long runs on Friday, the Red Bull was far too slow on the straights. He doesn't worry much about that anymore.
"Some driver had the engine open at that time or low fuel on board. In addition, we made some changes. I'm sure we've gone in the right direction for tomorrow. Nevertheless, it will be difficult to overtake him," Verstappen said at Motorsport-Total.com. What exactly is possible from P20? "That depends on the first lap and what will happen in the race, among other things".