Russell anticipated contact with Verstappen on the first lap of QATAR GP

George Russell, who started from pole position in the Qatar Grand Prix, admitted that he expected contact with Max Verstappen on the first lap.

Russell took over the lead from Verstappen, who was penalized for slow driving in qualifying. Verstappen then accused Russell of appealing to the stewards for the penalty on Saturday.

While Verstappen was eager to regain the lead, Russell confessed after the race that he had expected contact on the first lap.

Said the Mercedes driver, “To be honest, we expected contact, but in the end Lewis and I got off to a terrible start, which made his job easier.”

It was a pretty easy pass for him, which was a little frustrating for us. It’s funny how everything seems to work when the car is fast, but when the pace is off, everything backfires. Today was a good example of that.”

Russell’s excellent 4th place finish
Despite a completely botched pit stop and a 5 second penalty for a violation after the safety car, Russell finished a very important 4th place.

Given the way the race unfolded, fourth place is probably a good result.” It’s funny how this sport can change in a day,” added Russell.

Friday was perfect, Saturday was a great day, but today we just didn’t have the pace.”

“At best we were 2 3/10ths of a second behind Max and Lando. I had a bad start, a late pit stop, and a penalty – to be honest, I don’t even know why I got it,” the Mercedes driver concluded.

With this result, George Russell solidified his sixth place in the Drivers’ Championship, giving him a 24-point lead over garage mate Lewis Hamilton.