Williams driver secured his best qualifying result of the campaign
Saturday 3 August 2019 18:04, UK
British rookie George Russell further enhanced his growing reputation in Formula 1 on a milestone day of qualifying at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The 21-year-old missed out on Q2 by just 0.05s - but it was the Englishman's latest impressive showing for the below-par Williams team this year, and he delivered both his and the British outfit's best qualifying time on Saturday.
Russell finished 16th, putting his Williams above both Racing Point drivers Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez - and the Renault of Daniel Ricciardo.
"It was unbelievable, I'm almost lost for words," he told Sky Sports F1.
"Prior to this weekend, I don't think we could ever have dreamed of qualifying off the back row on merit, but I feel like we've really turned a page this weekend, understanding the tyres and understanding the car, and the thing came alive then.
"There's been so much work behind the scenes to make the aero and the correlation better, and it's been a long process.
"We brought the update to Germany, but there were a number of reasons why we weren't quick there.
"This was the first true test, and regardless of the outcome tomorrow we can go into the summer very pleased."
Most glaringly, Russell was also 1.3 seconds faster than Robert Kubica in the sister Williams, extending his record over the Pole to a perfect 12-0 over one lap.
Russell, who is on the books at Mercedes but set to stay at Williams in 2020, added: "It shows what the team have done over the last year has been worth it. There's much to come later in the year, so it's refreshing to know that the work we've done has been worth it."
Don't miss the next instalment of F1 2019 at the Hungarian GP this weekend on Sky Sports F1 - the final race before the summer break. Find out how to watch all the 2019 season live.
