How Russell stole the show and nearly pole on used inters

Max Verstappen may have denied George Russell a maiden Formula 1 pole, but it was the Williams driver who stole the show with an astonishing display in a dramatic Belgian Grand Prix qualifying.
How Russell stole the show and nearly pole on used inters

Russell excelled in treacherous wet weather conditions to haul his uncompetitive Williams into the final part of qualifying, and then so nearly take what would have gone down as one of the greatest pole laps in F1 history.

The British driver’s outstanding sole Q3 effort saw him briefly hold provisional pole position, having outpaced Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes by 0.013s, before Verstappen usurped him by just three tenths right at the end.

"I was in the fortunate position that I had nothing to lose,” said a delighted Russell in parc ferme directly after qualifying had concluded.

"We just had to go for it. We saved the full maximum engine mode for the last lap, but I’m buzzing, absolutely buzzing.”

How Russell stole the show and nearly pole on used inters


It came after a lengthy delay to qualifying after Lando Norris suffered a scary high-speed shunt on his first flying lap of Q3.

As the rain fell heavier at the start of the top-10 shootout, the McLaren driver lost control on the run up Eau Rouge and speared into the barriers. The violent impact destroyed his car and resulted in immediate red flag.

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