George misses out after late DNF in Australian Grand Prix
British Formula One driver George Russell was set for a points finish before an incident in the closing stages of the Australian Grand Prix which resulted in a crash.
After missing FP1 as Test Driver Roy Nissany took to the track, George returned to the cockpit in FP2 to complete 90-minutes of running around the circuit that he is well acquainted with.
Over the session, the 22-year-old and his Williams Racing team focussed on their preparations for both qualifying and the race, however, struggled to find basic pace over the course of both programs.
Turning 38 laps in the afternoon, George produced a best lap of a 1:19.391s to classify 20th overall, presenting the need for changes overnight to close the gap to the pack ahead of qualifying.
George Russell – Williams Racing Driver
“It was very tough; I think the track temperatures being so high meant that the tyres were really struggling for everyone in these difficult conditions. It wasn’t awfully pleasant, and I think we have a bit of work to do to get on top of it for tomorrow. I was a bit off the ball to start the short run having missed FP1, and then going straight in on the hard tyre didn’t help. We are not used to seeing Barcelona with these track conditions, we pre-empted that, but I think we need to go a step further. I think we can get some more pace out of the car for tomorrow, but I think Q2 which has been our focus and our aim in the last few races will be pretty tough this weekend.”
George will continue to practice for the Spanish Grand Prix on Saturday morning before contesting qualifying in the afternoon.