P1racenews AI automatic summary:
George Russell blamed a costly lunchtime sandwich for putting him “half a kilo” overweight heading into qualifying, saying he could have lined up P4 on Sunday’s Imola gird without it. As racing drivers’ excuses go, a sandwich is novel, but Formula 1 qualifying is all about fine margins. The Mercedes driver qualified in sixth place […]
Russell’s sandwich excuse during Formula 1 qualifying added a unique touch to the usual racing drivers’ excuses. Despite his P6 finish, he was frustrated by the narrow margins that set him back from higher positions. Carlos Sainz benefited from Piastri’s penalty and secured a fourth-place grid position, narrowly beating out Russell by just 0.001s. Russell jokingly blamed his P6 finish on being half a kilo too heavy due to his lunchtime sandwich. Mercedes has been introducing upgrades, and Russell was pleased with the progress, despite feeling he could have achieved more without the extra weight from his sandwich. McLaren, described by Russell as making “huge strides,” has even outperformed its supplier, Mercedes, which he finds motivational for pushing improvements within his own team.
