
Russell mystified by loss of Williams form
Russell mystified by loss of Williams form

George Russell has urged Williams to 'get their thinking caps on' after the team failed to escape the first qualifying session with either car for only the second time this year at the São Paulo Grand Prix.
After being out-qualified by team-mate Nicholas Latifi in a conventional qualifying for the first time in the pair's two-year partnership, Russell was left baffled by Williams' loss of form.
“It just didn’t come together for me," said Russell. "I think Nicholas did a really good job so well done to him, but as a team, we were struggling a lot and we don’t really know where our form has gone.
“This is the 19th race and we’ve only not been in Q2 twice. This is only the second time and we were a long way away, three and a half tenths [of a second].
“My lap felt okay, nothing special, but it usually comes to us easier than this so we need to get our thinking caps on and understand where that pace has gone.”
Comparing qualifying in Brazil to the Hungarian GP, the only other time this year neither car has reached Q2, Russell mused the tailwind could have been a factor in the team's failure.
“I think the biggest thing is the wind," he added. "We’ve got this tailwind through all the tight and twisty sections which really makes our life pretty tricky and actually, the last time we were out in Q2 in Budapest, it was exactly the same.
“We had a tailwind through all the twisty stuff that really hurt us so that is a contributing factor for sure but it seems a bit too much of an easy excuse.
“I need to go away and look at myself, look at the driving and then work with the team to try and understand where this pace has gone.”
Echoing Russell's comments that he had expected a step forward in qualifying, Latifi was relieved to have the fallback of the sprint on Saturday to elevate himself up the grid.
“That is the nice thing about this weekend," said Latifi. "We saw last time out with the sprint weekend in Monza, we had a really poor qualifying and we managed to move forward step by step in the sprint so I’m hoping for that.
“We have two chances to do so which is, I guess, good. Hopefully, there are some opportunities.”
Related news

Tsunoda "bullied" by FIA in safety car confusion

Button 'amazed' by Verstappen team order own goal

Alonso makes "two year" Alpine claim after fiery São Paulo weekend

Russell joins historic list as Verstappen falls to F1's newest jinx - São Paulo Grand Prix stats
Most read

Helmet cams become mandatory for all 20 drivers after F1 deal struck

F1 LIVE - Williams reserve driver departs

Alonso worst team-mate as Horner is 'waste of time' - GPFans F1 Recap

Verstappen fires Ricciardo warning as Red Bull sense Mercedes problems - GPFans F1 Recap

Ricciardo warned off by Verstappen after Red Bull return
F1 Standings

Races
-
Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2023
-
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023
-
Grand Prix of Australia 2023
-
Grand Prix of China 2023
-
Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2023
-
Miami Grand Prix 2023
-
Pirelli Gran Premio Del Made In Italy E Dell'emilia Romagna 2023
-
Grand Prix of Monaco 2023
-
Grand Prix of Spain 2023
-
Grand Prix of Canada 2023
-
Grand Prix of Austria 2023
-
Grand Prix of Great Britain 2023
-
Grand Prix of Hungary 2023
-
Grand Prix of Belgium 2023
-
Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2023
-
Grand Prix of Italy 2023
-
Grand Prix of Singapore 2023
-
Grand Prix of Japan 2023
-
Qatar Grand Prix 2023
-
Grand Prix of the United States 2023
-
Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2023
-
Grand Prix of Brazil 2023
-
Las Vegas Grand Prix 2023
-
Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2023
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media

7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860