George Russell has addressed the "pretty brutal" conditions the drivers were subjected to during the Qatar Sprint – the final sprint race of the 2025 season.
The Lusail International Circuit is one of the most demanding tracks on the calendar, due to it not consisting of any heavy braking zones.
It is a fast flowing venue consisting of solely medium and high-speed corners, testing the drivers physically whilst also dealing with the immense heat of the Middle East region.
Russell converted second on the grid for the sprint into a comfortable second place finish, although he revealed that he started to struggle in the closing laps.
"Yeah, it was a good race, good to get P2," said Russell. "We obviously know these guys are really quick, but those last two laps was a real struggle.
"This track is so quick. It's one of the most fun tracks to drive, and it's obviously brutal on the tyres on the car."
For the grand prix, it will be largely flat out from start-to-finish, due to Pirelli having introduced a strict 25-lap rule for each tyre.
It has made Sunday's grand prix a minimum two-stopper, allowing the drivers to push the tyres harder given how soon they will be replaced.
Discussing the physicality of the circuit, Russell said: "I was trying to rest as much as I could. To be honest, it's pretty brutal. I don't know what the G force is, it's like 5G for about... feels like forever around those triple right [corners].
"But it's really cool. It's what it should be like everywhere, really. And, yeah, glad we got the chance to race around here."
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