Williams

Russell "has a chance" of making Q2 in Austria - Button

Sam Hall Saturday 4 July 2020 13:32 Updated: 13:53

Jenson Button has tipped Williams driver George Russell to escape from Q1 if the team 'gets everything right' in Formula 1 qualifying at the Austrian Grand Prix.

Williams failed to make it out of Q1 at all in 2019, a year that proved to be the worst in the team's history.

Entering this season with the simple objective to move closer to the midfield and at least be able to compete, the results from practice for the race at the Red Bull Ring appear to suggest Williams has been successful, with Russell ending final practice in P16 - ahead of both Haas cars.

"George looked great out there," said Button. "He was in front of three other cars.

"It's very close in that area, so he does have a chance if they get everything right, and a few people make mistakes, of getting through Q1 into Q2 which would be awesome for the team.

"They really do need it at the moment."

For team-mate Nicholas Latifi, the session did not go according to plan as he ended up crashing.

After catching a slide coming out of the exit of turn one, the car unexpectedly gripped and catapulted him into a tyre barrier, ending his session early.

Williams has since confirmed the car sustained front and rear-wing damage, but with everything else intact, Latifi should be able to compete in his first F1 qualifying session.

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