Williams "points have to be minimum" result after reaching Q3 - George Russell

Austrian Grand Prix

Williams "points have to be minimum" result after reaching Q3 - Russell

Russell put in a sublime performance to qualify ninth for the Austrian Grand Prix

Ewan Gale

Saturday 3 July 2021 18:26

George Russell has declared that points "have to be a minimum" for Williams in the Austrian Grand Prix after guiding the team into Q3 for the first time since he joined F1 in 2019.

The British driver produced his best qualifying for the team on the day Lewis Hamilton secured a contract extension in one of the two Mercedes seats Russell is eyeing up for 2022 and beyond.

Russell put in a sublime lap to qualify into the top 10 for the first time in his 46 grands prix for Williams, and on a set of medium tyres, a feat only reciprocated by the two Red Bulls, two Mercedes and Lando Norris, before setting the ninth fastest time in Q3.

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It is also only the second time Williams has achieved the feat since the end of 2017, with Lance Stroll the other driver to do so, for the 2018 Italian GP.

"Q3 in any circumstance is massive for us, let alone doing it on the mediums," beamed Russell on Sky Sports F1.

"I have never been that pumped up since probably winning a race three years ago. That was massive for us."

"It was really hooked up and really nice. Quali is behind us now, we have got to look forward to the race and points have got to be a minimum."

Williams on "right strategy"

Williams' decision to start on the mediums with high degradation expected tomorrow opens up a world of opportunity strategy wise as it tries to break its scoring duck that is ongoing since Robert Kubica earned 10th at the 2019 German Grand Prix.

After retiring from the top 10 at the Red Bull Ring last weekend, Russell was asked if luck would fall on his side tomorrow, to which he replied: "Yeah, you make your own luck, don't you?

"We did a great job today. Probably starting P8. We are on the right strategy, we have got the flexibility to do a one-stop, two-stop, whereas the guys on the softs are going to be pretty locked in and I suspect will have a really difficult time on that opening stint.

"I should have the AlphaTauris just ahead and Aston Martins just behind so hopefully that will give me a bit of a margin to cattle off the Ferraris a little bit further away and try and look forward because there is no reason on the mediums we can't do that."