Despite the high-stakes gamble, Mercedes clinched a spot in the coveted Q3, with their star driver, George Russell, delivering a stellar performance. Russell’s lap was a mere 0.072 seconds behind pole-sitter Carlos Sainz, securing him a place on the front row of the grid, poised for battle.
Toto Wolff remarked on the team’s audacious strategy, saying, “[It is] bold to try and save a Soft in qualifying, but we made it. If it is a one-stop, then we have a second option to play. It’s a great tire for Safety Cars, for red flags, or gives us much more options than when you only have used Softs in your arsenal.”
A Cautionary Approach
