Russell defends pole lap after double yellow scare: 'I just did a huge lift'

Immediately after Verstappen's crash, Kimi Antonelli visibly lifted off the throttle, losing his chance to fight for pole, while his teammate went on to secure it by finishing more than two tenths clear of Charles Leclerc, who had briefly looked set to start from the front of the grid. After reviewing the incident, the stewards deemed that no further action was necessary, allowing Russell to retain pole position.

Speaking in the post-qualifying press conference about the incident, Russell explained that he had made a 100-metre lift after seeing the yellow flag in the final sector, costing him a significant amount of time while still allowing him to complete a pole-winning lap. He also said the final corner offered good visibility, meaning he was able to assess the situation, and because it was only a single yellow flag, he was confident there was no immediate danger.

Elaborating further, Russell explained that as soon as he turned into the corner he could already see the green flag ahead and initially believed the car had carried on, as it was so far off the track that he had not seen it at all. He added that he only realised Verstappen had crashed into the barriers after watching the replay, and was pleased that the stewards ultimately reached what he felt was the correct decision.