George Russell Baffled by Ferrari Pace at Silverstone

George Russell admitted he was surprised by Ferrari’s resurgence during Sprint Qualifying for the 2026 British Grand Prix. The British driver had expected the Italian team to be more competitive in Austria, only to see Lewis Hamilton claim pole position at Silverstone.

Hamilton recorded the fastest time of 1:28.376 and defeated championship leader Kimi Antonelli by only 0.011 seconds. Russell finished fifth and ended the session almost four-tenths behind his former team-mate.

Ferrari’s speed came as a surprise after the team endured a difficult Austrian weekend. It had also been unable to reproduce the race-winning form displayed in Barcelona, making its sudden competitiveness at Silverstone difficult for Russell to anticipate.

Baca JugaLando Norris Ungkap Masalah Serius di Silverstone 2026

“Very surprised. They’ve been on the back foot with the power unit and energy management, but here they look the best,” Russell said.

Russell acknowledged that Ferrari has long possessed a strong chassis. However, its advantage at Silverstone was difficult to explain because the circuit’s high-speed nature was expected to place greater emphasis on engine performance and energy efficiency.

“We’ve always known they’ve had a great chassis. Some things aren’t quite making sense,” he said.

Russell had expected Ferrari to perform more strongly at the Red Bull Ring, while Mercedes appeared better suited to Silverstone. That prediction did not materialise, although Antonelli still demonstrated the car’s potential by qualifying second.

Russell was again outpaced by Antonelli and admitted he could not find the improvement Mercedes often produces during the final qualifying phase. He was close to third place but remained clearly behind the two drivers on the front row.

“Usually, when we get to Q3, we can make a step. Today, that wasn’t quite the case. I need to understand why because it’s a bit strange,” Russell said.

The result gives Mercedes an attacking position from the front row through Antonelli, while Russell must contend with Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc around him. Data analysis before the Sprint will be important in determining whether the deficit came from set-up, tyre preparation or differences in single-lap car characteristics.

Ferrari’s recovery also increases the pressure on Mercedes for the remainder of the weekend. Russell now needs clearer technical answers if he is to reduce the gap and prevent Hamilton’s qualifying speed from developing into a larger race advantage.