George Russell believes the biggest threat to his chance of winning the Azerbaijan Grand Prix will come from two drivers who qualified outside the first three rows.
His team mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli will start 16th after crashing in the first round of qualifying. Antonelli won the Italian Grand Prix from 19th earlier this month.Russell also expects a threat from Max Verstappen, who was quickest in final practice but only qualified eighth after being forced to slow on his final lap when Lando Norris went off in front of him.
“Looking back on yesterday’s practice, I think Verstappen was the biggest threat,” said Russell after taking pole. “I think he probably got a bit blocked by Lando with the yellow flag at the end, so didn’t have that chance to improve.
“McLaren also threw out a big surprise at the beginning of Q3. They were one and two, and that was a surprise. But I feel Verstappen is going to be a threat.
“Obviously, you can’t discount Kimi. He started 19th in Monza and now he’s in 16th, so he should be leading by a few laps early [on] this time.”
Russell has enjoyed one of his strongest weekends of the year so far in Baku. However he needs a long run of strong results to cut Antonelli’s 81-point lead in the championship.
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He doesn’t believe Antonelli’s mistake yesterday is a sign his junior team mate is feeling the pressure of closing on the championship.
“He’s been flawless this whole season,” said Russell. “I think when you look at every championship campaign, even for the winners, there are mistakes along the way.
“I still keep on believing and keep on fighting until it isn’t possible anymore. But I don’t feel any pressure. I feel excitement every time I jump in the car now, purely because I feel more confident in myself.
“We spoke about it on Wednesday here: when that confidence starts to build, it’s just like this upward cycle. On the flip side, when you’re on the back foot, you start losing that confidence and then you start pushing the limits more, and that’s when mistakes happen.
“But, as I said, he’s been flawless this season. It’s the first mistake he’s made in a qualifying or race this whole year. So let’s see tomorrow.”
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