Russell banks on Mercedes advantage to hold off Ferrari challenge in Austria

The British driver, who claimed pole position in a rather controversial manner following the crash of Max Verstappen in the final stretch of qualifying, is banking on the straight-line speed of the Mercedes team to help ward off the charge that will be put to him by the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.

Russell noted how the Ferrari SF-26 have proven to be quick through the corners, as was witnessed last time out with Hamilton in Barcelona, before further flagging the possibility of the Italian outfit splitting their strategy to clinch race victory.

“Well, these guys are super-fast and it’s going to be a challenge having the two of them nearby. You know, we saw Lewis in Barcelona, how great his pace was. I think it will be challenging for them to overtake us in the straights because we’ve got the straight-line advantage, but they’ve got the advantage in the corners. And, you know, if they’re splitting the strategy or putting us under pressure, it may be difficult to hold onto,” Russell said during his post-qualifying press conference, which GPblog attended.

The 28-year-old also kept a close eye on teammate Kimi Antonelli, as well as the McLarens and Verstappen, all of whom he expects to be in the mix.

“And of course, Kimi is going to be super-fast. The McLarens have looked really fast. Max, I don’t know how his last lap was looking, but he was right up there as well with those new upgrades for Red Bull. So, there’s a huge fight on our hands from all angles,” Russell concluded.

Russell had claimed pole position after Verstappen suffered a heavy crash at Turn 9 during his final push lap, an incident that has since sparked widespread discussion and mixed reactions. At the moment of his crash, Ferrari’s Leclerc and Hamilton had locked out the front row, while Russell ultimately set the fastest lap despite the yellow flags triggered by Verstappen’s accident.

A subtle controversy quickly emerged, with several drivers and teams scrutinising whether Russell had properly lifted under yellow flag conditions. His Mercedes teammate Antonelli, running just ahead on track, was clearly seen lifting off as he approached the same section where Verstappen had crashed.

Nevertheless, it was later established that Russell had briefly lifted for around 100 metres during his flying lap, allowing the British driver to retain pole position.