George Russell assigns blame after 'surprise' Mercedes misunderstanding

George Russell has explained his confusion over not being fitted with medium tyres for the Q3 session at Monza, insisting he is also to blame for the miscommunication.

As the cars peeled out of the pit lane for the final segment of qualifying, Russell was heard voicing concern over the team radio.

Having been equipped with the soft tyres, Russell told his team: “I thought I said I wanted the mediums.”

Russell's request came after he topped the Q1 session running the yellow-walled compound while the rest of the field had the softs.

The Mercedes driver went on to qualify in sixth place but will progress up a position in the order on Sunday due to a grid penalty for Lewis Hamilton.

Russell explained the situation arose due to a miscommunication within the team.

“I was quickest in Q1 with the medium,” Russell told media including RacingNews365. “We were one of the only teams with two mediums.

“It was just a miscommunication with me and the team. They're not really to blame, probably I'm as much to blame [because] I didn't make it clearer.

“I just thought, with the lap time I showed, I just presumed. I said after Q1 ‘the medium feels great, we should consider it for Q3’. Then I said in the middle of Q2 after my first lap, ‘I'd like to run the medium in Q3'.

“Then I said in the garage, ‘Are we sticking to the plan?’ And they said ‘Yes’. I thought the plan was medium, but the plan was soft.

“That's why it was a surprise. As I said, I'm as much to blame. We should have discussed it more.”

Russell got what he deserved

Russell ended the session almost half a second down on pole-sitter Max Verstappen.

The Briton admitted it is difficult to know where he could have progressed to with the medium tyre, but hinted it would have been a stronger effort than his soft tyre run. 

“I don't know, to be honest. The gap was pretty large in the end, but I just felt much more comfortable with the medium tyre,” he said.

“I didn't really do good laps in Q3. I only improved one and a half-tenths from Q1 on the medium to my fastest lap in Q3.

“Normal improvement is probably five or six tenths, and bearing in mind the lap in Q1, I did two laps on the tyre.

“Looking at those numbers, you would think it would be substantially faster than what I did achieve.

“But anyway, P5 is probably a deserving position”