P1racenews AI automatic summary:
George Russell will not be on the starting grid in Austin, and will start from the pit-lane instead.
George Russell will start the United States Grand Prix from the Austin pit lane due to a regulation that requires parts changed in parc ferme to be of the same specification. Mercedes faced struggles during qualifying, with Lewis Hamilton exiting in 19th place in Q1, his first Q1 exit on pace since the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Hamilton reported a suspension issue on his W15 on the formation lap following the sprint race earlier in the day. Russell had a tough qualifying session, spinning into the barriers in the final moments of Q3, causing most fresh upgrades to be destroyed. Due to this, he will start from the pit lane. Mercedes worked overnight to revert the car back to the old specification after Russell’s crash, leading to the decision for the pit-lane start.
