Russell sees a chance to win Singapore GP: 'Have a strategic advantage'

George Russell will start on the front row for the Singapore Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver missed out on pole position by less than one-tenth but is feeling confident ahead of the race due to a "strategic advantage". The British driver will attack pole-sitter Carlos Sainz at the start of the race.

Hot conditions in Singapore

Russell started last year's Singapore Grand Prix from the pit lane but will have a different experience 12 months later. Saturday's session was extended due to Lance Stroll's heavy crash. This didn't make things easier for the Mercedes driver. 

"It was definitely a challenging session. When you're sat in that car, it's like a sauna sweating it out. Really happy with this weekend as a whole. I felt really confident in the car, the team did a great job with the strategy," Russell explained in the on-the-grid interview.

Ferrari have struggled with tyre management in the 2023 Formula 1 season. This might create an opportunity for Russell, but he also notes that they've saved an extra set of mediums for the race.

"We are on an off-set strategy compared to everyone else, so we have an extra set of medium tyres tomorrow which nobody around us has, so to get to Q3 and be on the front row with a strategic advantage tomorrow is an exciting place to be," Russell concluded.