Mercedes AMG Formula One driver George Russell dominated the Singapore Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, but remains clueless about the performance gain on his W16 F1 car.
Russell started the 62-lap race from pole position, beating Max Verstappen who started in P2. Despite Verstappen starting the race on soft tires, Russell kept him at bay and maintained his race lead only to extend it further by 5.4 seconds at the end.
Mercedes came into the Singapore GP weekend with an updated front wing on the W16, but the team has yet to confirm if that offered Russell the much-needed advantage to win the race. Speaking to the Sky Sports F1 after securing his second win of the season, he said:
“It feels amazing, especially after what happened a couple of years ago. That was a bit of a missed opportunity, but we more than made up for it today.
“Just so grateful for the team. They did an amazing job this weekend. We don’t really know where this performance came from, but really, really happy.
“Friday was a really tough day for me for many different reasons and I wasn’t feeling comfortable, but by the time I got to Q3, I felt great in the car and that’s when it matters.
“I was a bit nervous at the beginning when I saw Max on the soft, but that first stint was great from us and extended the gap.”
Speaking after the qualifying session on Saturday, Russell acknowledged that Singapore hasn’t been kind to him in the past. He said:
“Amazing to be on pole position. Yesterday was a very challenging day for many different reasons, but good to come back and get a result.
“A long, sweaty race tomorrow, but I knew there was potential in the car. Kimi was doing an amazing job all weekend.
“I gained quite a lot to see what he was capable of doing yesterday. Very happy to be on pole.”
“Singapore hasn’t been the kindest to me in the past; that’s been through my own doing the majority of the time. I won’t get carried away with pole. Of course, it’s the best place to start. There’s a good pole-side advantage but I like to think I can hold the lead but this guy [Verstappen] is good at race starts and sending it down the inside.”
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