P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Russell reckons he had pace to threaten Verstappen in F1 Qatar GP
In the 57-lap race at Losail Circuit, Russell started in second place but had a collision with his teammate Hamilton at the first corner, sending him spinning. Hamilton was eliminated from the race immediately. Despite the incident, Russell managed to battle his way back and finished in fourth place. Russell believed that if not for the crash, he could have challenged Verstappen for victory, as he had strong race pace. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri finishing close to Max Verstappen was unexpected. Verstappen won the race, but his lead was artificially constrained due to the FIA and Pirelli capping tyre stints at 18 laps. Christian Horner, Red Bull boss, thought Verstappen went with a suboptimal strategy for flexibility in case of a late safety car. McLaren had the fastest average lap pace, followed by Verstappen and then Russell. Russell received an apology from Hamilton, who took full responsibility for the crash. Russell considered his championship efforts in 2023 a “complete disaster” but remained positive about achieving the goal of finishing second in the teams’ championship.
Source: motorsport
