Russell counts himself 'lucky' with front row start after 'adjustments' go wrong

Russell finished behind his teammate Kimi Antonelli in second place in qualifying for the Japanese GP. Both Mercedes drivers set their fastest times on their first attempt.

After the conclusion of Q3, Russell said: "He (Antonelli) did a great job again."

Throughout qualifying, the Briton repeatedly reported issues over the team radio.

He explained: "It was a really strange session for us. We were both very fast all weekend. We made some adjustments after FP3, and then at the beginning of qualifying, we were nowhere.

"The last two weekends it’s kind of both gone wrong come qualifying, but the race is tomorrow and there’s still a lot to play for," Russell concluded.