Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team at the 2025 British Grand Prix - Saturday Session
In a thrilling turn of events at the 2025 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, George Russell delivered an exceptional performance to secure fourth place in the final lap of Q3. The Mercedes junior's time was just 0.137 seconds off pole position, narrowly missing out on a front-row start.
Russell's performance was a stark contrast to his earlier struggles, where he was off the pace by about half a second and found himself in 11th or 12th positions during Q1 and Q2. The car's potential only became apparent in the closing moments of Q3.
Silverstone's high-speed layout and demanding corners may have played a part in neutralizing some expected disadvantages, allowing Russell to maximise his final flying lap. The cooler weather forecast, which Mercedes had anticipated would enhance their W16 car's performance, did not translate into the performance gains hoped for, leaving the team somewhat puzzled.
The team's strategy had to account for variable track and air temperatures, which heavily affect tire performance and degradation. The possibility of rapid weather changes—from dry to wet conditions—required the team to remain highly adaptive.
Meanwhile, Kimi Antonelli, another Mercedes junior, qualified for the British Grand Prix in seventh place. Antonelli struggled in the second sector during qualifying and lacked stability in the fast sections of the track. Unfortunately, Antonelli will have to serve a three-place grid penalty due to a collision in the first lap of the last race in Austria.
Noah Strømsted, another Mercedes junior, finished 13th in the sprint race of the FIA Formula 3 Championship at Silverstone. Strømsted is planning to work hard to improve his race pace for the main race on Sunday at Silverstone.
Toto Wolff, team principal and CEO, stated that places four and seven are not their preferred positions, but they can take positive aspects from the progress made after a challenging Friday. The team is working on understanding the issue with Kimi Antonelli's car setup.
As the race day approaches, the weather forecast remains mixed, with rain still predicted. The team made several changes overnight due to cooler conditions at the Silverstone race weekend, and both Russell and Antonelli had only one new set of soft tires left for the final qualifying attempt (Q3).
The 52-lap race remains cloudy with a chance of rain, adding another layer of unpredictability to an already exciting weekend at Silverstone.
George Russell's exceptional performance in qualifying for the British Grand Prix proved that he excels not only in Formula 1 races but also in Other sports, as he managed to secure fourth place in Q3. In contrast, his teammate Kimi Antonelli, despite qualifying in seventh place, will start from a lower position due to a penalty, showcasing that even in Motorsports, mistakes can lead to setbacks.
