Missing out on pole "blessing in disguise" for George Russell - Daniel Ricciardo

Sakhir Grand Prix

Missing out on pole "blessing in disguise" for Russell - Ricciardo

Russell missed out on pole on his Mercedes debut by just 0.026 seconds

Ewan Gale

Saturday 5 December 2020 23:48

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Renault driver Daniel Ricciardo believes George Russell's agonising second place in Sakhir Grand Prix qualifying is a "blessing in disguise" for the Mercedes stand-in driver's career.

Russell was pipped to pole by just 0.026 seconds by new team-mate Valtteri Bottas after producing a stellar final sector to put himself in contention on the Bahrain Outer Track.

Ricciardo believes the British driver, who is deputising for Lewis Hamilton after the world champion contracted Covid-19, will benefit in the long term from not securing a maiden pole on his first outing with a top marque.

"In a way, it is probably a blessing in disguise that he didn't get pole," he said.

"I think if you blow everything on your first weekend then you have set the bar so high, what more can you do.

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"Obviously, I am sure he is frustrated today but probably in the long term, it is a good thing for him with everybody expecting whatever from him. But you have got to do it, you have got to step up."

Ricciardo has likened Russell's opportunity this weekend to his own experience when he stepped up from Toro Rosso to Red Bull in 2014, explaining the task of driving a faster car is much more difficult than expected from the outside.

"When I went from Toro Rosso to Red Bull, it is probably like now with him going from Williams to Mercedes," added Ricciardo.

"There is more pressure to be at the front but the car is better so therefore it is actually easier to drive in a way. It does more what you want.

"I'm sure if you speak to George he will say...he probably won't say it because he doesn't want to be arrogant, but he will probably say it was quite easy out there.

"And I don't want to take the word easy lightly. I am sure with the grip he is fighting the car less than he has been with the Williams so stepping up is sometimes pleasantly surprising."