George Russell has revealed the issue that prevented him from claiming Pole Position in Las Vegas!
The Briton was in excellent form on the unexpectedly wet Las Vegas Strip Circuit, setting the fastest time in FP3, Q1 and Q2, looking set to claim his third Pole of the year. However, a sudden power steering problem hampered him at the end of Q3, preventing him from starting from the front row.
The problem appeared suddenly, causing panic in Russell, who immediately shouted over the team radio “I don’t know what’s wrong with the steering, something’s broken at the front. Damn it!” His mechanic, Marcus Dudley, suspected a fault, which Russell was quick to deny. As the problem worsened, he was forced to abandon his fast lap and settle for 4th place for the Grand Prix, which he described as “a shame” given the momentum he had shown.
“Q3 didn’t go well for us, but I actually had a bit of a steering problem in the last three laps,” Russell said after qualifying. “It was like I had lost the power assist. I don’t think we would have got pole because I didn’t have a good feel for the car, but it’s quite annoying when that happens. I was really struggling to turn in the corners. I don’t know what the problem was, but it just didn’t go well in Q3, whereas Q1 and Q2 were pretty solid.”
“Fourth place is obviously not the ideal position, but a lot has happened at this track,” he added. “It was a very difficult process, so obviously it could have been a lot worse. But it’s definitely a good position to fight for.”
As for the track conditions created by the rain, Russell and the other drivers admitted that they weren’t pleasant. “Yeah, it was pretty awful. It wasn’t fun at all, but it’s a nice challenge. You don’t want it to be the same every week.” The Mercedes driver also disagreed with comments from many of his colleagues, who said these were the most difficult conditions.
The 27-year-old was referring to the 2020 Turkish Grand Prix, where drivers used intermediate tyres until they were essentially slick.
“I think that’s probably true for drivers who haven’t driven in Turkey in 2020. Everyone knew it was going to be tough. No tyre is designed for that type of track.”
When asked if there was a solution to improving the racing conditions, Russell stressed that the lack of grip around Las Vegas had nothing to do with Pirelli’s compounds.
“I think Pirelli’s job would be a lot easier if all the tracks were the same,” Russell said. There are already enough variables, such as temperature, track layout, altitude, downforce levels and tyre compounds. So adding another variable, such as the track, seems a bit redundant.”
