George Russell Identifies Steering Problem as Key Obstacle in Las Vegas Qualifying
George Russell acknowledged that a steering malfunction disrupted his performance during the final phase of qualifying for the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Despite showing strong pace earlier by leading final practice as well as Q1 and Q2, the Mercedes driver could only manage fourth place in Q3.
Russell described the issue as a sudden loss of power steering that severely hampered his ability to navigate corners. He said, “I was really struggling to turn around the corners. I don’t know what the issue was, but it just didn’t come together in Q3, when Q1 and Q2 had been pretty solid.”
Before qualifying, Russell was considered a contender based on his historic success on this street circuit and his pace during practice sessions. “Q3 didn’t really come together for us, but I actually had some sort of steering issue on the last three laps,” he explained. He also noted the problem was frustrating since it prevented him from fully exploiting the car’s potential.
While the last seven grands prix have been won from pole position, Russell remains optimistic about his chances to challenge polesitter Lando Norris. He emphasized that fourth on the grid, although not ideal, still offers a competitive starting point. “It was a very difficult session, so obviously, it could have been much worse. But it’s definitely a strong place to fight,” he remarked.
His teammate, Kimi Antonelli, faced greater difficulties by failing to advance beyond Q1 and qualifying 17th. Antonelli admitted locking up on his final lap, which cost him a fast time. “I took some margin on the braking just to avoid any bad surprises, but I still ended up locking up and losing the lap,” Antonelli commented, expressing regret since the lap time could have been enough to progress.
Challenging weather and track conditions contributed to an unpredictable qualifying session overall. Russell’s mechanical trouble in Q3 illustrates how even small technical issues can disrupt a driver’s rhythm and impact final grid positions. The stage is now set for an intense race with Russell determined to convert his strong Mercedes car’s pace into a valuable finish.
